Tech industry copyright conference Icotec to begin in Seoul this week

Korea will host the 2024 International Copyright Technology Conference (Icotec), one of the world's largest copyright gatherings for the tech industry, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday.

The official poster for this year's International Copyright Technology Conference [MINISTRY OF CULTURE, SPORTS AND TOURISM]

Korea will host the 2024 International Copyright Technology Conference (Icotec), one of the world's largest copyright gatherings for the tech industry, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Tuesday.

Co-hosted by the Culture Ministry, Korea Copyright Commission and Korea Copyright Protection Agency, this year's Icotec will begin Wednesday and discuss the present and the future of copyright in the high-tech era.

Into its 14th year since its inception in 2011, Icotec “has served as a platform for introducing the latest domestic and international copyright technologies, sharing and discussing pressing issues in copyright technology with experts from around the world and fostering collaboration,” according to the Culture Ministry.

At this year’s conference, Professor Won Yoo-jae of Chungnam National University and Harrie Temmink, head of services at the European Union Intellectual Property Office, will deliver keynote speeches on copyright technology in the hyperconnected era and strengthening copyright infrastructure.

The first session, “Copyright Protection Technology in the Age of Digital Innovation,” will examine the present and future of copyright protection technology in response to the spread of new technologies and changes in content consumption environments. Professor Park Wook from Kyung Hee University and Ilke Demir, a senior researcher at Intel, will discuss authenticity and copyright issues for content in the AI era.

The second session, “Copyright Protection Technology as the Foundation of Content Creation,” will explore copyright protection technologies applied within the digital content industry. Eric Diehl, vice president of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Seo Choong-hyun, director at Naver Webtoon, will talk about trends and technologies in content protection.

In addition to expert presentations, there will be online lectures for the public to deepen their understanding of copyright protection technologies, focusing on cases of copyright infringement and protection using the latest AI-based technologies, as well as AI security and protection issues.

The conference will also recognize individuals who have contributed to the development of copyright protection technologies. Among those honored will be Professor Kim Hye-young of Hongik University, who has developed core technologies for game content copyright protection and trained professionals, and Professor Lee Sang-jin of Korea University, who has advanced digital forensic technology to support copyright protection.

“Amid the rapidly changing digital innovation era, the importance of copyright protection technology, which forms the foundation of content creation, is growing ever more significant,” said Jung Hyang-mi, director-general of the Culture Ministry's Regional Culture Policy Bureau. “Through this conference, we will gather diverse opinions on the latest trends and issues in copyright protection technology at home and abroad and incorporate them into the development of effective copyright protection policies.”

More information is available on the conference’s official website.

BY YOON SEUNG-JIN [yoon.seungjin@joongang.co.kr]