Overview

• Germany’s culture minister Wolfram Weimer denounced what he called “digital colonialism,” vowing to confront unlicensed use of copyrighted works in AI systems.
• Börsenverein head Karin Schmidt-Friderichs warned that a handful of digital oligopolists shape information flows, urging accountability and payment for training data.
• Organizers expect well over 200,000 visitors, with more than 1,000 authors and thousands of exhibitors participating across five days.
• The Philippines serve as guest of honour with a major pavilion and cultural program, as some invited authors canceled appearances in protest over Germany’s Gaza stance.
• New public measures include full Friday access, book sales from day one, a Festhalle ‘Meet the Author’ area, and limited private-visitor tickets available only online.