The Global Rights Exchange: İntrotema Anchors International Publishing and Copyright Seminar in Uzbekistan
Fresh off a highly inspiring and strategic initiative in Central Asia, İntrotema Literary Agency has successfully concluded its role as the official partner for a landmark international seminar in Tashkent. Held on June 8, 2026, at the iconic National Library of Uzbekistan named after Alisher Navoi, the event served as a vital bridge for connecting the rapidly evolving Uzbek book market with global publishing, licensing, and copyright ecosystems.
The seminar, organized at the initiative of the National Association of Publishers and Book Trade Organizations of Uzbekistan, became a powerhouse professional platform. It brought together a vibrant crowd of nearly 90 local publishers, book distributors, translation specialists, and copyright experts, all eager to tap into international best practices, explore market entry models, and foster long-term cross-border cultural exchange.
In recent years, Uzbekistan's book industry has experienced an impressive surge. Local publishing houses are aggressively expanding their international footprints, driven by a growing domestic demand for translated foreign literature, increased participation in global book fairs, and an eagerness to adopt modern industry standards. In this shifting landscape, mastering the nuances of international licensing and effective copyright management has become a top priority for local operators looking to scale globally.
A remarkable indicator of this regional momentum is the soaring cross-border demand for Turkish literature and intellectual works, which have achieved massive visibility across Central Asia. Over the past five years, the mutual exchange of copyright titles has neared 1,000 works—with over 700 Turkish titles successfully translated into Uzbek. Significantly, İntrotema Agency has become a hallmark name within the credits of these translated editions, reflecting our core agency philosophy: facilitating seamless content transfers while maintaining deep respect for local cultural sensitivities, societal values, and the publishing dynamics of recipient markets.
Reflecting our targeted agency focus, our core leadership team spearheaded the seminar’s intensive panel sessions, offering a granular, deep-dive roadmap into the mechanics of the modern global book trade:
- Dr. Muhammed Ağırakça (Co-founder of İntrotema Agency) opened the sessions by detailing macroeconomic publishing trends and framing rights exchange as an essential tool for modern cultural diplomacy and soft power.
- Emre Can Petek (Sales Director) provided a practical framework on contemporary licensing mechanisms, international contract negotiation, and multi-market entry strategies.
- Gulnara Yakupova (Rights Manager) hosted an interactive operational session navigating complex global legal structures, intellectual property protections, and rights management.
The initiative also featured high-level, exclusive closed-door sessions with directors of the Alisher Navoi National Library and ministerial stakeholders. The İntrotema delegation presented comprehensive case studies on successful state-backed publishing systems, standard tracking frameworks (such as ISBN and advanced banderol models), institutional procurement pipelines, and translation incentives like the TEDA program. Crucially, Dr. Ağırakça—drawing from his expertise on the Istanbul Publishing Fellowship Coordination Committee—shared scalable B2B matchmaking and professional networking models. This led to proactive discussions and strategic proposals aimed at establishing a parallel international rights-trading platform within Uzbekistan to anchor future global publishing partnerships.
The Tashkent mission concluded with extensive on-site field visits to approximately 15 prominent local publishing houses. These direct corporate interactions opened up immediate avenues for future translation projects, joint venture publications, and robust co-operation in specialized sectors like children's literature and educational licensing.
