In a show of support for the screen sector, the Hon. Mark Dreyfus KC MP, Attorney-General of Australia, officially opened Screenrights’ new office at Warrang, The Rocks, on Wednesday, 4 September. The new space reflects a new chapter for Screenrights, with meeting rooms and hotdesks available to members and screen industry practitioners for writers’ rooms, creative workshops, or as a central Sydney working location when visiting from out of town.
The launch event, attended by key figures from the screen, copyright, and legal sectors, highlighted the importance of Screenrights in advocating for the rights of screen content creators. The new office was cleansed by a Smoking Ceremony and honoured with a Welcome to Country from Raymond Weatherall in recognition of the healing required for the lands around the historic district of The Rocks and its colonial past.
In his speech, the Attorney-General praised Screenrights for its role in the Ministerial Roundtables on Copyright. “I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the contribution Screenrights has made in informing government policy over time,” Dreyfus said. “The organisation is a valuable source of insights in relation to copyright matters affecting the screen and broadcasting sectors, and I have appreciated its contributions to discussions on copyright reforms and priorities being progressed by my department in recent years.”
With regards to the specific approach that Screenrights is currently advocating for on behalf of its members, the Attorney-General remarked, “In particular, I thank Screenrights for raising and contributing to discussions on important issues around the definition and differential treatment of ‘broadcasts’ for the purposes of the Copyright Act. This is of particular importance given the ongoing shift towards online consumption of audiovisual content and potential broader media reforms in future.”
Screenrights Board Chair Kim Dalton and Chief Executive James Dickinson sincerely thanked Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus for the honour of having him open the new offices. With the support of the Attorney-General and the broader sector, Screenrights is well-positioned to continue its vital work in supporting a vibrant and sustainable screen industry while fostering access to quality screen content across Australia and New Zealand.
