Suchergebnisse

Emphasis on protection of public performances and computer-related issues; Soviet Union. Translated from Sovetskoe Gosudarstvo i Pravo, no. 6, 1982.

Abstract
Music is a special art form and a special object for copyright protection. In contrast to other, more static, forms of art, such as most of the visual arts, music is fashioned time and therefore constitutes change and movement; it also exists only in its performance. This article shows how copyright constructs a normative device, the 'musical work', to be able to protect this fleeting and transient art form. The article also discusses how music is analysed to ascertain which of its elements obtain copyright protection against infringement, and whether a 'hearing test' is an adequate method for establishing infringement.

The broadening of copyright regulation has always been due to different factors since the appearance of Gutenberg's printing press in the middle of the 15th century. Amongst these factors the technological innovation and the constant changes of the copyright holders' and members of the society's needs have been the most notable ones. However, the first two centuries of copyright law might be characterized as the age of slow development. Contrary to this the importance of copyright regulation has extremely expanded in the last half century. The invention of photocopying machines and audio and video tape recorders that are capable for multiple reproduction of protected subject matter (mainly literary works, sound recordings and audiovisual contents) has speed up disputes between the different stakeholders. It has therefore become urgent to settle the emerging economic, social and legal disputes. The authors of this book take steps to introduce students some of the most recent and relevant examples of these disputes. Digitization has become such a dominant activity that it similarly can contribute to the preservation of our culture. Therefore issues of digitization by libraries and private corporations. The emergence of the problematic of and the solution for the orphan works dilemma also worth to mention and discuss. P2P file-sharing is a relatively new area of digital copyright law, but belongs to the most important question everywhere. The United States and the EU Member States follow, however, different paths in resolving this problem. The United States concept of contributory and vicarious liability doesn't exist on the European Continent, where – on the other hand – the public law and technological control seems to be much more effective than private law (copyright law). Related to the question of P2P file-sharing, the question of private copying exception rises up. In the past few years the Court of Justice of the European Union has been elaborating a new approach of the theory of private copying levies. Finally, the digital natives (as Viviane Reding has called the young generation that use internet as a main way of communication) contribute to the improvement of our culture as well. These usages have constantly contributed, however, to the emergence of several remarkable concerns, too. It is therefore necessary to discuss the interplay of copyright law and the web 2.0 phenomenon.

Abstract: The European Copyright acquis communautaire seeks a balance between a high level of protection of right holders on the one hand and the promotion of learning and culture on the other by instituting strong exploitation rights and providing exceptions to these exclusive exploitation rights for purposes of research, education and the dissemination of knowledge and culture. The use of copyrighted works for several non-commercial research purposes is therefore made possible under European Union (EU) copyright law. In this article, it is shown that, despite its increasingly international character, copyright law remains largely national law, based on the principle of territoriality. National regimes vary significantly throughout the Member States, which leads to legal uncertainty, and may cause obstacles in transnational teaching and research. It will be concluded that harmonization of 'EU Copyright Law', which is flexible enough to cope with every challenge the digital age poses, is still a work in progress, which will continue into the coming years, if not decades. Résumé: L'acquis communautaire en droit européen du droit d'auteur cherche un équilibre entre d'une part un haut niveau de protection des ayants droit et d'autre part la promotion de l'enseignement et de la culture, en instituant d'importants droits d'exploitation et en prévoyant des exceptions à ces droits d'exploitation exclusifs dans un but de recherche, d'éducation et de diffusion de la connaissance et de la culture. L'utilisation d'oeuvres protégées par le droit d'auteur dans différents buts de recherché non-commerciaux est ainsi rendue possible en droit d'auteur européen. Dans cet article, il est indiqué que malgré son caractère de plus en plus international, le droit d'auteur demeure largement un droit national, basé sur le principe de territorialité. Les régimes nationaux varient de manière significative selon les Etats membres, ce qui conduit à une incertitude juridique et peut constituer des obstacles dans l'enseignement et la recherché transnationaux. Le présent article conclut que l'harmonisation du "droit d'auteur européen" qui est suffisamment souple pour affronter les défis de l'ère digitale, est encore en développement, lequel se poursuivra au cours des prochaines années, voire décennies. Zusammenfassung: Im acquis communautaire des europäischen Urheberrechts wird ein Gleichgewicht, zwischen einem hohen Schutzniveau der Rechtsinhaber einerseits und einem Fortschritt für Entwicklung und Kultur andererseits, angestrebt. Dazu werden zum einen starke Lizenzrechte implementiert, gleichzeitig aber auch Ausnahmen für diese exklusiven Nutzungsrechte für Zwecke der Forschung, Lehre und Verbreitung von Wissen und Kultur geschaffen. Dementsprechend ist die Nutzung urheberrechtlich geschützter Arbeiten für eine gewisse Anzahl an nicht-kommerziellen Forschungszwecken gemäß EU-Urheberrecht möglich. In dem vorliegenden Beitrag wird aufgezeigt, dass das Urheberrecht trotz seines immer stärker werdenden internationalen Charakters nach wie vor weitestgehend nationales Recht, basierend auf dem Territoritalprinzip, bleibt. Die nationalen Regelungen der Mitgliedsstaaten variieren jedoch signifikant, was zu Rechtsunsicherheit führt und Hindernisse für transnationale Forschung und Lehre mit sich bringen kann. Schließlich wird die Schlussfolgerung gezogen, dass die Harmonisierung eines "EU-Urheberrechts", das flexibel genug ist, allen Anforderungen, die das digitale Zeitalter bringt, zu begegnen, eine anhaltende "Baustelle" ist, die noch die nächsten Jahre, wenn nicht Jahrzehnte andauern wird.