International Publishers Association
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1896
- HeadquartersGeneva, Switzerland
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
International Publishers Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- International Publishers Association
- Legal name
- International Publishers Association
- Website
- https://internationalpublishers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1896
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
International Publishers Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Publishing Industry Association / Federation Services
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), All Other Publishers (513199)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scholarly Society & Association Publishing (EDAGAFAK)
Keywords
Where International Publishers Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Geneva
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
International Publishers Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: The IPA operates as a federation of national, regional and specialist publishers' associations. Revenue is generated through membership dues from 105 member organizations across 84 countries.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
International Publishers Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is the world's largest federation of national, regional and specialist publishers' associations, comprising 105 member organizations across 84 countries. It operates as a nonprofit membership federation that promotes copyright and the freedom to publish globally, organizes the biennial International Publishers Congress, runs advocacy initiatives including the Prix Voltaire and Freedom of Expression Defenders Award, and operates platforms such as the SDG Dashboard and InSPIRe research platform. Its offerings are aimed at advancing the publishing industry's interests in copyright policy, literacy, accessibility, sustainability, and international cooperation.
Product overview
The International Publishers Association operates as a federation of publishers' associations rather than a product company. Its core offerings include the IPA SDG Dashboard (a web platform tracking publisher sustainability initiatives aligned with UN SDGs), the biennial International Publishers Congress (the 35th held in Kuala Lumpur in July 2026), and the Prix Voltaire award for courage in publishing. Additional programs include the Africa Publishing Innovation Fund (grants for African publishers), InSPIRe (research platform), the Accessible Books Consortium (ABC) for accessible publishing, and World Book Capital Cities initiative. The association also maintains subsidiary websites for the Publishers Congress, SDG activities, and its 130-year history.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- IPA SDG Dashboard: A sustainability initiative platform showcasing UN Sustainable Development Goals actions by publishers worldwide
Products and services
- IPA SDG Dashboard A web-based dashboard that tracks and showcases publisher actions and initiatives aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), featuring searchable entries of sustainability practices from publishers worldwide. Available at sdg.internationalpublishers.org.
- International Publishers Congress IPA's flagship biennial event bringing together publishers from around the world to discuss industry topics; the 35th Congress was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in July 2026. Registration is available at publisherscongress.com.
- InSPIRe A research initiative and platform for publishing industry statistics and data compiled by the IPA, providing members and stakeholders with industry data.
- Africa Publishing Innovation Fund (APIF) A fund supporting innovation in African publishing, providing grants to publishers and literacy initiatives across the continent.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35th International Publishers Congress brought together over 500 delegates from 44 countries
Companies that use International Publishers Association
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
International Publishers Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
International Publishers Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic, flagship and supporting.
- World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)coreIPA organizes side events at WIPO's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) sessions, highlighting copyright concerns for publishers globally.
- UNESCOcoreIPA is involved in UNESCO initiatives including the Global Education Coalition and SDG-related programs promoting education and literacy.
- UNICEFcoreJoint initiatives such as 'Read The World' launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to promote reading for children and young people.
- World Health Organization (WHO)corePartnership in 'Read The World' initiative providing platform for children's authors to promote reading benefits.
- Accessible Books Consortium (ABC)coreJoint initiative to boost books in accessible formats for people who are blind, visually impaired, or print disabled. IPA encourages publishers to adopt accessible publishing practices.
- Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC)strategicJPIC joined the organizing committee for Tokyo International Rights Meeting from 2023 to provide structural and managerial support.
- Malaysian Book Publishers AssociationflagshipHost of the 35th International Publishers Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (July 5-9, 2026).
- EDItEURsupportingCollaboration on metadata standards and e-commerce standards (EDItX) for the publishing industry.
- Bologna Children's Book FairflagshipLong-standing partnership with one of the most important children's book fairs globally, entering its seventh decade.
- Frankfurt Book FairflagshipIPA has a full programme of meetings at Frankfurt Book Fair annually, the world's largest book trade fair.
- UN SDG Publishers CompactcoreIPA is a signatory of the UN SDG Publishers Compact and operates the SDG Dashboard showcasing publisher actions toward sustainable development goals.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
International Publishers Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO): UN agency coordinating global IP policy including copyright. Strategic counterpart and Core-tier partner of IPA rather than a direct competitor; the SCCR sessions are where IPA's copyright advocacy translates into international policy.
- Bologna Children's Book Fair: Leading global fair for children's publishing, and IPA's long-standing flagship-tier partner. Ecosystem participant that complements IPA's congress activity with specialized event programming for the children's segment.
- Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse): The world's largest trade fair for books and a flagship IPA partner. Ecosystem participant rather than competitor: IPA runs its full programme of meetings at Frankfurt, making it a strategic counterpart in industry convening rather than a peer in advocacy.
Emerging players
- PEN International: Global writers' organization promoting literature and freedom of expression. Overlapping mandate with IPA on freedom to publish and literary freedom; PEN focuses on writers rather than publishers but converges on the same advocacy issues.
Direct peers
- European Publishers Council (EPC): High-level group representing the heads of Europe's leading media groups on EU policy. Regional peer engaging in similar copyright and freedom-to-publish advocacy at the European institutional level, comparable to IPA's WIPO/UNESCO engagement.
- Association of American Publishers (AAP): The principal US trade association for commercial, educational, and professional publishers. Direct peer providing industry advocacy, copyright protection, and policy engagement in the world's largest English-language publishing market, mirroring IPA's role globally.
- Publishers Association (UK): The UK trade association for book and journal publishers, advocating for the industry at a national level. Direct peer as a national publishers' trade body that performs parallel federation, advocacy, and event functions to IPA's member associations.
- International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM): Global trade association for academic and professional publishers, focused on scholarly publishing standards, copyright, and integrity. Direct peer representing specialist publishers with similar advocacy and standards-setting functions to IPA.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
International Publishers Association social profiles
Digital presenceInternational Publishers Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
International Publishers Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
International Publishers Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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International Publishers Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about International Publishers Association
What does International Publishers Association do?
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is the world's largest federation of national, regional and specialist publishers' associations, comprising 105 member organizations across 84 countries. It operates as a nonprofit membership federation that promotes copyright and the freedom to publish globally, organizes the biennial International Publishers Congress, runs advocacy initiatives including the Prix Voltaire and Freedom of Expression Defenders Award, and operates platforms such as the SDG Dashboard and InSPIRe research platform. Its offerings are aimed at advancing the publishing industry's interests in copyright policy, literacy, accessibility, sustainability, and international cooperation.
Is International Publishers Association a public or private company?
International Publishers Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was International Publishers Association founded?
International Publishers Association was founded in 1896. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is International Publishers Association based?
International Publishers Association is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does International Publishers Association make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are International Publishers Association's main competitors?
Others on record are World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Bologna Children's Book Fair and Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse). PEN International is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are European Publishers Council (EPC), Association of American Publishers (AAP), Publishers Association (UK) and International Association of Scientific, Technical and Medical Publishers (STM).
Does International Publishers Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for International Publishers Association.
What industry is International Publishers Association in?
International Publishers Association's product category is Publishing Industry Association / Federation Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAFAK, Scholarly Society & Association Publishing. Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 8600.