2026 APCA Annual Conference
Description
The 2026 Asian Pacific Copyright Association Annual Conference will bring together academics, practitioners, and policymakers to discuss current developments in copyright law across the Asia-Pacific region.
The conference theme, "Innovation and Copyright in the Asia-Pacific: Regional Developments, Global Debates," explores how copyright law is responding to technological change, new business models, artificial intelligence, digital platforms, sustainability, and other emerging challenges.
Hosted by the Department of Commercial Law at the University of Auckland, the conference will feature distinguished keynote speakers, research presentations, and a range of opportunities to exchange ideas, foster collaboration, and network with colleagues from across the region and beyond.
REGISTER NOW - REGISTRATION CLOSES 11 OCTOBER
Further information, including the conference programme, keynote speakers, and other practical information, is available below.
Keynote Speakers
Prof. Peter Yu
Peter K. Yu is University Distinguished Professor, Regents Professor of Law and Communication and Director of the Center for Law and Intellectual Property at Texas A&M University. He held the Kern Family Chair in Intellectual Property Law at Drake University and was Wenlan Scholar Chair Professor at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Wuhan, China. He served as a visiting professor of law at Bocconi University, Hanken School of Economics, Hokkaido University, Tel Aviv University, the University of Haifa, the University of Helsinki, the University of Hong Kong, the University of Strasbourg and Washington and Lee University. He also founded the nationally renowned Intellectual Property & Communications Law Program at Michigan State University, at which he held faculty appointments in law, communication arts and sciences, and Asian studies. Born and raised in Hong Kong, Professor Yu is a leading expert in international intellectual property and communications law. He also writes and lectures extensively on international trade, international and comparative law, and the transition of the legal systems in China and Hong Kong. A prolific scholar and an award-winning teacher, he is the author or editor of ten books and more than 250 law review articles and book chapters. He is Vice-President of the American Branch of the International Law Association and has served as the general editor of The WIPO Journal published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). He is an elected member of the American Law Institute and sits on the Scientific Advisory Board of Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Germany. Professor Yu has spoken at events organized by WIPO, the World Trade Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Chinese, EU and U.S. governments and at leading research institutions from around the world. His lectures and presentations have spanned over 30 countries on six continents. He is a frequent commentator in the national and international media. His publications have appeared in Chinese and English and have been translated into Arabic, French, Hausa, Japanese, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese. They are available on his website at www.peteryu.com.
Clive Elliott KC
Clive is a barrister and arbitrator. He is ranked by Chambers and Partners as “one of New Zealand’s leading IP silk’s” with a “particular flare when it comes to handling especially complex matters”. Clive is a past president of the New Zealand Bar Association. He is a past council member of the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Law Society and the Legal Practice Division of the International Bar Association (IBA). He is also a past co-chair of the Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law Committee of the IBA and a past president of the Intellectual Property Society of Australia and New Zealand (IPSANZ). He is a co-author of the Lexis Nexis loose-leaf texts: Copyright and Design; and Patents and Trade Marks. He is a frequent writer and commentator on IP and information technology issues and is a member of the Editorial Board of the Intellectual Property Forum.
Conference Information
- Call for Abstracts (CLOSED)
1 CONFERENCE THEME
Innovation and Copyright in the Asia-Pacific: Regional Developments, Global Debates
Innovation is reshaping the environment in which copyright operates. New technologies, evolving business models, changing patterns of authorship and dissemination, and new expectations around access and use are testing the assumptions that have long underpinned copyright law. In this context, copyright is no longer concerned only with the protection of conventional creative works. It is increasingly implicated in wider questions about technological development, market organisation, cultural participation, sustainability, consumer interests, and the public interest.
The 2026 APCA Annual Conference invites papers exploring how copyright law responds to innovation across creative, technological, commercial, cultural and social contexts, with particular attention to the Asia-Pacific region and its place within broader global developments. Relevant issues include the implications of artificial intelligence, digital platforms, data-driven production, and new licensing environments, as well as emerging debates around repair, interoperability, sustainability, and user access in software-enabled and connected products. It also includes questions about how copyright frameworks can accommodate cultural diversity, educational needs, accessibility, and the protection of traditional and community-based knowledge in rapidly changing technological and economic conditions.
The Asia-Pacific provides a particularly valuable setting for these discussions. Its jurisdictions reflect different legal traditions, regulatory priorities, economic conditions, and levels of technological development. These differences create a dynamic background for examining how copyright systems adapt to innovation in distinct ways, and how regional experience can contribute to wider international debates.
We welcome abstracts adopting doctrinal, comparative, theoretical, interdisciplinary, empirical, or policy-oriented approaches.
Possible topics include, but are not limited to:
innovation and the future development of copyright law and policy;
copyright and artificial intelligence, including training, generation, authorship, and liability;
copyright and digital platforms, online dissemination, and intermediary governance;
new business models, licensing practices, and digital content markets;
copyright, software, and innovation in connected and digital products;
copyright, technical protection measures, interoperability, and the right to repair;
copyright, consumer interests, sustainability, and aftermarket uses of technology;
limitations and exceptions in support of research, education, libraries, archives, and innovation;
copyright and access to knowledge in digital environments;
traditional cultural expressions, Indigenous knowledge, and innovation in cultural production;
comparative and international responses to copyright reform in the Asia-Pacific and beyond;
enforcement, automation, proportionality, and procedural fairness in copyright disputes.
2 CONFERENCE DETAILS
2.1 Format and Presentation
The Conference will be conducted exclusively in person and will feature keynote speeches, plenary sessions, and panel discussions. This format is designed to ensure maximum participation by all speakers and attendees with adequate time for discussions.
2.2 Dates
27-28 October 2026
2.3 Venue and Accommodation
The Conference will be hosted at the University of Auckland’s City Campus in the centre of New Zealand’s largest city. Its central location provides easy access to hotels, public transport, restaurants, and Auckland’s harbour, galleries, and other key attractions.
3 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
APCA invites scholars at all levels to submit their paper proposals. We aim to achieve diverse representation across the Asian Pacific region.
Abstract Submission: Please submit an abstract of up to 300 words, including the author’s name, title, and affiliation, with the email subject: APCA2026 – [Name] submission
Deadline: 20 July 2026 (rolling acceptance)
Submission Email: conference@apcacopyright.org
We look forward to your participation and to welcoming you to Auckland in the spring of 2026.
Professor Tianxiang HE
President, APCA
Associate Professor, School of Law
City University of Hong Kong
Dr. Bram Van Wiele
Conference Convenor & Treasurer, APCA
Senior Lecturer, Department of Commercial Law
University of Auckland
Tickets for good, not greed Humanitix dedicates 100% of profits from booking fees to charity