Exceptions and Limitations

Exceptions and Limitations to copyright are provisions which allow for works protected by copyright to be used in specific situations without a licence from the copyright owner. There are numerous limitations and exceptions found in copyright legislation including, for example, the fair use exception, exceptions for libraries, archives and educational institutions, and the back-up copy exception.

AG Opinion, Case Law, CJEU, Collective management, European Union, Exceptions and Limitations, France, Remuneration (equitable)

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The prior express consent of the author is necessary to use a copyright work under EU law; the statutory presumption of collective management of copyright doesn’t comply with the need for express prior consent, even with an opt-out possibility and for a legitimate objective, Advocate General Wathelet said in his opinion on the pending request…

Brexit, Enforcement, European Union, Exceptions and Limitations, Infringement, Legislative process

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Here at the Kluwer Copyright Blog we are thrilled to have had the opportunity to ask Felix Reda MEP a few questions on some very topical copyright law issues.  We are very grateful to Felix for sparing time in his busy schedule to do the interview, and here’s what he had to say: 1. In…

Case Law, Digital Single Market, Distribution (right of), European Union, Exceptions and Limitations, Remuneration (equitable)

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On June 16, Advocate General (AG) Spuznar delivered his opinion in Case C‑174/15 Vereniging Openbare Bibliotheken v Stichting Leenrecht. The case emerged from a dispute between VOB, the association of Dutch public libraries, and a foundation entrusted with collecting the remuneration for lending which is due to authors.  In VOB’s view, the lending of electronic…

Case Law, CJEU, Collective management, European Union, Exceptions and Limitations, Private copying, Remuneration (equitable), Spain

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In response to a reference from the Spanish Supreme Court, the CJEU held that Article 5(2)(b) of Directive 2001/29/EC must be interpreted as precluding a scheme for fair compensation for private copying like the Spanish system, which is financed from the General State Budget in such a way that it is not possible to ensure that…

Case Law, Exceptions and Limitations, France, Legislative process, Private copying, Remuneration (equitable)

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In a judgment of 17 March 2016, the Cour de cassation, the French Supreme Court, ruled that the judicial courts are required to assess and award the remuneration for private copying in situations where one of the decisions of the Commission in charge of setting the fair compensation has been annulled. A full summary of…

Case Law, CJEU, European Union, Exceptions and Limitations, Jurisdiction, Private copying, Remuneration (equitable)

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In this decision, the CJEU tackled an international jurisdiction issue, since what was essentially under debate in the main proceedings was the applicability of Article 5(3) of Regulation 44/2001 on jurisdiction in civil and commercial matters, which enables, in matters relating to tort, delict or quasi-delict, persons domiciled in one Member State to be sued…

Case Law, Collective management, European Union, Exceptions and Limitations, Liability, Private copying, Remuneration (equitable), Spain

(Institute for Information Law (IViR))/ /Leave a comment

1                Background, facts and questions On 9 June 2016 the CJEU ruled on Case C-470/14 – EGEDA and Others (‘EGEDA’). This marks the tenth occasion on which the Court has ruled on the private copying exception or limitation in Article 5(2)(b) of Directive 2001/29/EC (the ‘InfoSoc Directive’) after Padawan, Stichting de Thuiskopie, Luksan, VG Wort,…

Case Law, Collective management, Exceptions and Limitations, France, Legislative process, Private copying, Remedies, Remuneration (equitable)

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In a judgment of 17 March 2016, the Cour de cassation, the French Supreme Court, ruled that the judicial courts are required to assess and award compensation for private copying in situations where a decision of the Commission in charge of setting the fair compensation has been annulled. This judgment seems to mean that the…

Case Law, Communication (right of), Exceptions and Limitations, Infringement, Liability, Portugal

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The appeal court held that the diffusion of broadcast works as ambient music, by means of playing radio broadcasts through several loudspeakers in a fruit shop open to the public, was a mere reception and not a reuse of the broadcast works and therefore it did not require the authorisation of the copyright holders. A…

Exceptions and Limitations, Fair Use, Infringement, USA

(Kyushu University), (Leibniz Universität Hannover), and (Vilnius University)/ /2 Comments

The saga over the legality of the Google Books project finally came to an end on April 18, 2016, when the Supreme Court of the US refused to intervene in the case over alleged copyright infringement for scanning millions of books and making them searchable online. This was a final blow to authors’ representatives who…