Doing Rights Right 2026: Equipping the Modern Publisher for a Rapidly Shifting Landscape

In the volatile world of international publishing, "rights" are no longer just a department—they are back to being the primary engine of value. However, as digital ecosystems evolve and Artificial Intelligence rewrites the rules of intellectual property, the strategies that worked five years ago are becoming obsolete.

Our publisher Ted Olczak attended in-person the hybrid conference Doing Rights Right 2026: Building Your Rights Toolbox this past Friday at the Goethe Institute.  Hosted by the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) with the support of the Frankfurter Buchmesse and other sponsors, this summit was designed as a high-octane, practical intensive for publishers, agents, and industry partners.

Moving beyond abstract theory, the 2026 program focused on “real-world guidance.” BISG Rights Chair Kris Kliemann moderated the sessions as a “strategic toolkit” designed to help attendees navigate the intricacies of today’s rights ecosystem. Here is a look at the themes defining this year’s event.

The day began with global perspectives from BISG leadership and Juergen Boos, President and CEO of Frankfurter Buchmesse. Their opening remarks set the stage for a program rooted in the necessity of connectivity.

The opening session, “Measuring Twice,” set a practical tone by diagnosing the operational friction points that hinder revenue. Through a real-time pulse check, attendees identified systemic “blockers”—most notably lean staffing, a lack of executive buy-in, and the chronic deprioritization of rights within the broader organization. The consensus was clear: professionals are seeking a “Best Practices” roadmap, including vetted vendor lists and consultative support. The session highlighted a poignant irony—if freed from fragmented workflows and administrative burdens, rights teams would pivot their energy toward untapped market potential and deepening author and market relationships.

The “New Tools for the Rights Toolbox” session was an eye-opening experience as presenters showcased new emerging rights technologies and tools. Chair Kliemann updated members on BISG’s “Find A Rightsholder” as well as new committee initiatives including a Rights Vendors Compendium and BISG’s Book Publishing Next.

For rights professionals, the goal is no longer just to “survive” AI, but to build a framework where human creativity is both protected and fairly compensated within machine-learning models. So after lunch, guests continued on with “Licensing for AI, what should (what can) book publishers do.” With human limitation on the ability of licensing content use, Amlet provided a solution with computer to computer authorization of content use thru ISCC, best described as a “digital fingerprint” or “high-precision ISBN.” Here, content is labeled, assigned an identification, registered and assigned a value. Very much like an ISBN for a book, ISCC can identify something as small as a couple paragraphs to chapters in a book (Amlet’s current software addresses the book, but could easily be applied to varying types of content).  In this way, it can be a protection against machine to machine uses of content, as well as have the ability to drive licensing revenue.

The day ended in a session titled “The Human Toolbox: Thriving as a Rights Professional and How to Glow in the Dark.” Literary agent Anna Sproul-Latimer addressed the emotional “soft skills” that are becoming increasingly “hard.” From career resilience to human-centered networking, this session brought an optimistic lift to professionals to maintain their spark and “glow” in their profession.

Ultimately, “Doing Rights Right 2026” served as a vital industry recalibration. By bringing together the technological (AI and data standards) with the tactical (workflows and licensing) and the personal (career resilience), BISG provided an actionable conversation for the rights professional. For those looking to turn rights into a more robust revenue driver, the message is clear: It’s time to stop theorizing and start building.

NOTE: BISG now has NEW membership options for literary agents, independent practitioners, and students who want to get involved, visit https://www.bisg.org/membership for details.