ABOUT THE AWARD
In the spirit of inspiring the next generation of Intellectual Property experts, ALAI, with the support of GESAC, have launched an annual award for students : https://authorsocieties.eu/alai-award/. The annual award is given to the writer of the best essay relating to authors’ right. The essay should have a European dimension and include elements related to the collective management of authors’ right.
HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE UPCOMING EDITION
Following the success of the 7th edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC, we are pleased to announce that the 8th edition of the Award has been launched!
Are you a law student currently studying or researching authors’ right/copyright? If so, we encourage you to apply for the 8th edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award – supported by GESAC!
The prize, which amounts €2,000 to the winner, is awarded annually to the best essay related to authors’ rights/copyright with a European dimension.
The jury for the 2026 edition of the award is chaired by Professor Frank Gotzen, President of ALAI and is comprised of two ALAI representatives:
• Paul Torremans, Professor of Intellectual Property Law, University of Nottingham
• Yves Gaubiac, Lawyer, Lecturer at Panthéon-Assas University, Paris 2
and two representatives of GESAC:
• Caroline Bonin, Head of Legal Affairs, SACEM
• Gábor Faludi, outside Counsel for Artisjus, Associate Professor ELTE Law School Civil Law Department
Questions, application forms, abstracts, and essays are to be sent to: alai.award@gesac.org.
PREVIOUS AWARDEES
- First edition of the ALAI Award (2019)
Dr Hannes Henke won the 2019 ALAI European Authors’ Right Award for his essay “E-books in German and European copyright law: backgrounds-contrasts-effects”.
Read more about the first edition of the ALAI Award here.
- Second edition of the ALAI Award (2020)
The ALAI Award 2020 went to Mr Thomas Verborgh for his essay titled “Multi-territorial licensing of rights in music for online use and early evaluation”.
Watch the interview with Mr Verborgh and learn more about the winner and his work’s findings.
- Third edition of the ALAI Award (2021)
Mr Seun Lari-Williams won the third edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award for his essay “Bridging the Value Gap Between Content Creators and Digital Media Platforms: A Case Study of YouTube”. The winning essay is as well available in both French and English in the La Revue Internationale du Droit d’Auteur, online and in print!
To listen to ALAI European Authors’ Right Award winner Seun Lari-Williams talking about his essay’s findings, as well his background practicing law in his native Nigeria and how the pandemic has affected the country’s creative economy click here.
- Fourth edition of the ALAI Award (2022)
Ms. Andrée Glancia Madinda received the fourth edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award for her essay “L’exception de fouille de textes et de données dans la directive DAMUN : avis de tempête sur le droit d’auteur”(“The text and data mining exception in the Directive on copyright in the digital single market: a stormy outlook for author’s rights”).
The essay is available in French here, and in English here.
Watch the interview (click here) with Ms. Madinda and learn more about her work’s findings.
- Fifth edition of the ALAI Award (2023)
Javier Fernández-Lasquetty Martín was awarded the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award for his essay “Two models of rights management in digital journalism“.
Read the winning essay here (for the time being, only available in English) and watch the interview with Mr. Fernández-Lasquetty Martín
- Sixth edition of the ALAI Award (2024)
The 2024 edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC, was awarded to Gaël Maupertuis for his essay “Les copies hors ligne dans le streaming musical par abonnement : part du droit exclusif d’exploitation ou exception au droit d’auteur ?”*
*English translation: “Offline copies in subscription music streaming: part of the exclusive right of exploitation or exception to copyright?”
Mr. Gaël Maupertuis studies at Nantes University (France), where he is completing is second master in Intellectual Property Law.
Read the winning essay here (for the time being, only available in French)
- Seventh edition of the ALAI Award (2025)
The 2025 edition of the ALAI European Authors’ Right Award, supported by GESAC, was awarded to Erik Mnatsakanyan for his essay “Les oeuvres générées par intelligence artificielle : inévitablement considérées comme oeuvres dérivées ?”
*English translation: “AI-Generated works: Inevitably considered derivative works?”
Mr. Erik Mnatsakanyan studies at Nantes University (France), where he is completing is second master in Intellectual Property Law.
Read the winning essay here (only available in French)