Called a “Small United Nations of Rights Directors” by the German trade magazine Börsenblatt the year it began, the meeting continues to be an essential event for rights and licensing professionals four decades later.

By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox

Rights is the backbone of the publishing industry and continues to grow in importance and size each year. In 2025, Frankfurter Buchmesse hosted a combined 591 tables in the Literary Agents & Scouts Center (LitAg) and the Publishers Rights Center (PRC) featuring 357 agencies and publishers from 33 countries.

This year, perhaps further illustrating the importance of rights, the Frankfurt Rights Meeting will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

First held in 1987, the rights event was called the “International Rights Directors Meeting” and welcomed attendees from 26 countries. Over the years, the program has grown in size and even features both virtual and in-person programming to accommodate rights professionals around the world who may not be able to attend the book fair.

“For 40 years, the Frankfurt Rights Meeting has brought together the leading minds of the international rights community,” said Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse.

“The fact that this conference remains relevant even after four decades shows that sharing expertise and meeting in person are an essential part of our industry.”

The theme of this year’s program is “Rights Then. Rights Now” and will not only focus on important topics that are relevant today but also celebrate how the rights marketplace has changed over the last 40 years.

As mentioned, the program features both virtual and in-person programming. Attendees can expect:

• Digital sessions – Starting on September 1^st, there will be four digital sessions focusing on AI in rights trading, selling rights into French-language markets, the developments and challenges for children’s and young adult publishing, and “Breaking the 3%*” which will focus on selling translation rights to English-language markets which traditionally publish fewer books in translation.
• In-person panel and networking event – On Tuesday, October 6 in Frankfurt, four generations of rights and licensing experts will share their experiences and look ahead to the future of the rights and licensing business followed by a networking reception.

Lynette Owen, rights consultant, member of the conference’s advisory board, and general editor of Clark’s Publishing Agreements, has attended the Frankfurt Rights Meeting since its inception.

She will be one of the speakers in October and said of the meeting, “What I hear from attendees indicates that there is a continuing need to cover up-to-date rights issues. In addition to the online events, the in-person event at the fair provides a welcome opportunity to catch up with rights colleagues in person, as well as make new contacts.”

In honor of the 40^th anniversary, there is special pricing for tickets this year. The networking event at the Frankfurt Book Fair is available for €24, a single online session costs €40, and the all-access ticket which grants access to all virtual sessions and the in-person networking in Frankfurt is €140. The online ticket shop is now open. Click here for more information about this year’s Frankfurt Rights Meeting and to get your tickets.

Have a story from a past Frankfurt Rights Meeting you want to share? Post those in the comments! Publishing Perspectives and Frankfurter Buchmesse may share those on social media in the lead-up to this year’s meeting.

 

*The 3% refers to a 2005 study by Bowker that reported that, of the number of books published in the United States, only 3% were books in translation. Chad Post at the University of Rochester tracked books in translation from 2008-2018. There is no widely reported study that has tracked books in translation since 2018.