| CHAPTER I General
provisions § 1 Nature
of copyright
Article 1
Copyright is the exclusive
right of the author of a literary, scientific or artistic work
or his successors in title to communicate that work to the
public and to reproduce it, subject to the limitations laid down
by law.
Article 2
1. Copyright passes by
succession and is assignable wholly or in part.
2. The delivery required by
whole or partial assignment shall be effected by means of a deed
of assignment. The assignment shall comprise only such rights as
are recorded in the deed or necessarily derive from the nature
or purpose of the title.
3. The copyright belonging to
the author of a work and, after his death, to the person having
acquired any unpublished work as successor or legatee of the
author, shall not be liable to seizure.
§ 2 Author of the work
Article 3
(deleted)
Article 4
1. Unless there is proof to the
contrary, the person who is named as author in or on the work
or, where there is no such indication, the person who, when the
work is communicated to the public, is named as the author by
the party who communicates the work to the public, shall be
deemed the author of the work.
2. If the author is not named,
the person who delivers a recitation which has not appeared in
print shall be deemed the author thereof, unless there is proof
to the contrary.
Article 5
1. If a literary, scientific or
artistic work consists of separate works by two or more persons,
the person under whose guidance and supervision the work as a
whole has been made or, if there is no such person, the compiler
of the various works, shall be deemed the author of the whole
work, without prejudice to the copyright in each of the works
separately.
2. Where a separate work in
which copyright subsists is incorporated in a whole work, the
reproduction or communication to the public of each separate
work by any person other than the author thereof or his
successor in title shall be deemed an infringement of the
copyright in the whole work.
3. Where such a separate work
has not previously been communicated to the public, the
reproduction or communication to the public of that separate
work by the author thereof or his successors in title without
mention of the whole work of which it is a part, shall be deemed
an infringement of the copyright in the whole work, unless
otherwise agreed between the parties.
Article 6
If a work has been made
according to the draft and under the guidance and supervision of
another person, that person shall be deemed the author of the
work.
Article 7
Where labour carried out by an
employee consists in the making of certain literary, scientific
or artistic works, the employer shall be deemed the author
thereof, unless otherwise agreed between the parties.
Article 8
A public institution,
association, foundation or company which communicates a work to
the public as its own, without naming any natural person as the
author thereof, shall be regarded as the author of that work,
unless it is proved that the communication to the public in such
manner was unlawful.
Article 9
If a work appearing in print
does not indicate the name of the author or does not indicate
his true name, the person indicated in that work as the
publisher or, where there is no such indication, the person
whose name appears as the printer thereof may, on behalf of the
copyright owner, exercise the copyright in the work against
third parties.
§ 3 Works protected by
copyright
Article 10
1. For the purposes of this
Act, literary, scientific or artistic works includes:
1° . books, pamphlets,
newspapers, periodicals and all other writings;
2° . dramatic and
dramatico-musical works;
3° . recitations;
4° . choreographic works and
entertainments in dumb show;
5° . musical works, with or
without words;
6° . drawings, paintings,
works of architecture and sculpture, lithographs, engravings
and the like;
7° . geographical maps;
8° . drafts, sketches and
three-dimensional works relating to architecture, geography,
topography or other sciences;
9° . photographic works;
10° . cinematographic works;
11° . works of applied art
and industrial designs and models;
12° . computer programs and
the preparatory material;
and generally any creation in
the literary, scientific or artistic areas, whatever the mode or
form of its expression. Computer programs do not fall within the
category of works referred to in the first sentence sub 1° .
2. Reproductions of a literary,
scientific or artistic work in a modified form, such as
translations, arrangements of music, cinematographic and other
adaptations and collections of different works shall be
protected as separate works, without prejudice to the copyright
in the original work.
Article 11
No copyright subsists in laws,
decrees or ordinances issued by public authorities, or in
judicial or administrative decisions.
§ 4 Communication to the public
Article 12
The communication to the public
of a literary, scientific or artistic work includes:
1° . the communication to the
public of a reproduction of the whole or part of a work;
2° . the distribution of the
whole or part of a work or of a reproduction thereof, as long
as the work has not appeared in print;
3° . the rental or lending of
the whole or part of a work, with the exception of works of
architecture and works of applied art, or of a reproduction
thereof which has been brought into circulation by or with the
consent of the rightholder;
4° . the recitation,
performance or presentation in public of the whole or part of
a work or a reproduction thereof;
5° . the broadcasting of a
work incorporated in a radio or television programme by
satellite or other transmitter or by a closed-circuit system
as referred to in article 1 sub g of the Wet op de
Telecommunicatievoorzieningen.
2. Rental as referred to in
paragraph 1 sub 3° . means making available for use for a
limited period of time for direct or indirect economic or
commercial advantage.
3. Lending as referred to in
paragraph 1 sub 3° . means making available for use, for a
limited period of time, by establishments accessible to the
public, for no direct or indirect economic or commercial
advantage.
4. A recitation, performance or
presentation in public includes that in a restricted circle,
except where this is limited to relatives or friends or
equivalent persons and no form of payment whatsoever is made for
admission to the recitation, performance or presentation. The
same shall apply to exhibitions.
5. A recitation, performance or
presentation which is exclusively for the purposes of education
provided on behalf of the public authorities or a
non-profit-making legal person, in so far as such a recitation,
performance or presentation forms part of the school work plan
or curriculum where applicable, or which exclusively serves a
scientific purpose, shall not be deemed public.
6. The simultaneous
broadcasting of a work incorporated in a radio or television
programme by the organization making the original broadcast
shall not be deemed a separate communication to the public.
7. The broadcasting by
satellite of a work incorporated in a radio or television
programme means the act of introducing, under the control and
responsibility of the broadcasting organization, the
programme-carrying signals intended for reception by the public
into an uninterrupted chain of communication leading to the
satellite and back to earth. Where the programme-carrying
signals are encrypted, this shall be deemed to constitute the
broadcasting by satellite of a work incorporated in a radio or
television programme if the means of decrypting the broadcast
are provided to the public by or with the consent of the
broadcasting organization.
Article 12a
1. If the author assigns the
rental right referred to in article 12, paragraph 1, sub 3° .,
in respect of a literary, scientific or artistic work fixed on a
phonogram to the producer thereof, the latter is indebted an
equitable remuneration to the author for the rental.
2. The right to an equitable
remuneration as referred to in paragraph 1 may not be waived.
§ 5 Reproduction
Article 13
The reproduction of a literary,
scientific or artistic work includes the translation,
arrangement of music, cinematographic adaptation or
dramatization and generally any partial or total adaptation or
imitation in a modified form, which cannot be regarded as a new,
original work.
Article 14
The reproduction of a literary,
scientific or artistic work includes the fixation of the whole
or part of the work on an object which is intended to play a
work or to show it.
§ 6 Limitations on copyright
Article 15
1. It shall not be deemed an
infringement of copyright to take over news reports,
miscellaneous reports or articles concerning current economic,
political or religious topics that have appeared in a daily or
weekly newspaper or weekly or other periodical or works of the
same nature that have been broadcast in a radio or television
programme, if:
1° . the taking over is
effected by a daily or weekly newspaper or weekly or other
periodical in a radio or television broadcast;
2° . the provisions of
article 25 have been taken into account;
3° . the source is clearly
indicated, together with the indication of the author if it
appears in the source; and
4° . copyright is not
explicitly reserved.
2. In the case of periodicals,
a generally worded reservation placed at the head of each issue
shall also be deemed an explicit reservation as referred to in
paragraph 1 sub 4°.
3. A reservation as referred to
in paragraph 1 sub 4° . cannot be made in respect of news
reports and miscellaneous reports.
4. The provisions of this
article shall also apply where the taking over is in a language
other than the original.
Article 15a
1. Quotations in an
announcement, criticism, polemic or scientific treatise shall
not be deemed an infringement of copyright in a literary,
scientific or artistic work where:
1° . the work from which the
quotation is taken has been lawfully communicated to the
public;
2° . the quotation is in
conformity with that which may be reasonably accepted in
accordance with social custom and the number and length of the
quoted passages are justified by the purpose to be achieved;
3° . the provisions of
article 25 have been taken into account;
4° . the source is clearly
indicated, together with the indication of the author if it
appears in the source.
2. In the case of a short work
or a work as referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 6° .,
9° . or 11° ., the entire work may be reproduced for the purpose
and under the conditions stated in paragraph 1, if done in such
a way that the reproduction differs appreciably in size or
process of manufacture from the original work.
3. For the purposes of this
article quotations includes quotations from articles that have
appeared in daily or weekly newspapers, weeklies or other
periodicals in the form of press reviews.
4. The provisions of this
article shall also apply to quotations in a language other than
the original.
5. We reserve the right to
determine, by order in council, what is to be understood in
paragraph 1 sub 2° . by "reasonably accepted in accordance with
social custom".
Article 15b
The further communication to
the public or reproduction of a literary, scientific or artistic
work communicated to the public by or on behalf of the public
authorities shall not be deemed an infringement of the copyright
in such a work, unless the copyright has been explicitly
reserved, either in a general manner by law, decree or
ordinance, or in a specific case by a notice on the work itself
or at the communication to the public. Even if no such
reservation has been made, the author shall retain the exclusive
right to have appear in the form of a collection his works which
have been communicated to the public by or on behalf of the
public authorities.
Article 15c
1. The lending as referred to
in article 12, paragraph 1, sub 3° ., of the whole or part of a
work or a reproduction thereof brought into circulation by or
with the consent of the rightholder shall not be deemed an
infringement of copyright, provided the person doing or
arranging the lending pays an equitable remuneration. The first
sentence shall not apply to a work referred to in article 10,
paragraph 1, sub 12° ., unless that work is part of a data
carrier containing data and serves exclusively to make the said
data accessible.
2. Educational establishments
and research institutes, the libraries attached to them, and the
Koninklijke Bibliotheek are exempt from payment of a
lending remuneration as referred to in paragraph 1.
3. Libraries funded by the
Libraries for the Blind and Visually Impaired Fund are exempt
from payment of a remuneration as referred to in paragraph 1 in
respect of items lent to blind and visually impaired persons
registered with the libraries in question.
4. Payment of the remuneration
referred to in paragraph 1 shall not be required if the person
liable for payment can demonstrate that the author or his
successor in title has waived the right to an equitable
remuneration. The author or his successor in title should notify
the legal persons referred to in articles 15d and 15f
of the waiver in writing.
Article 15d
The level of the remuneration
referred to in article 15c, paragraph 1, shall be
determined by a foundation to be designated by Our Minister of
Justice in agreement with Our Minister of Education, Culture and
Science, the board of which shall be so composed as to represent
in a balanced manner the interests of the authors or the
successors in title and the persons liable for payment pursuant
to article 15c, paragraph 1. The chair of the board of
this foundation shall be appointed by Our Minister of Justice in
agreement with Our Minister of Education, Culture and Science.
The number of members of this board shall be uneven.
Article 15e
Disputes concerning the
remuneration referred to in article 15c, paragraph 1,
shall be exclusively decided at first instance by the
Arrondissementsrechtbank at The Hague.
Article 15f
1. The remuneration referred to
in article 15c should be paid to a legal person to be
designated by Our Minister of Justice in agreement with Our
Minister of Education, Culture and Science who is, in their
opinion, representative and who shall be exclusively entrusted
with the collection and distribution of such remunerations. The
legal person referred to in the preceding sentence shall
represent the rightholder at law and otherwise in matters
relating to the level and collection of the remuneration and the
exercise of the exclusive right.
2. The legal person referred to
in paragraph 1 shall be subject to supervision by a supervisory
board, the members of which shall be appointed by Our Minister
of Justice in agreement with Our Minister of Education, Culture
and Science. Further rules concerning supervision shall be laid
down by order in council.
3. The remunerations collected
shall be distributed on the basis of regulations drawn up by the
legal person referred to in paragraph 1 and approved by Our
Minister of Justice in agreement with Our Minister of Education,
Culture and Science. To this end Our Minister of Justice shall
seek the opinion of the supervisory board referred to in
paragraph 2.
Article 15g
Persons required to pay the
remuneration referred to in article 15c, paragraph 1,
shall be obliged to submit, by 1 April of every calendar year
unless otherwise agreed, to the legal person referred to in
article 15f, paragraph 1, the number of juristic acts as
referred to in article 15c. They shall also be obliged to
give the said legal person, on request, immediate access to the
documents and other data carriers needed to establish liability
and the level of the remuneration.
Article 16
1. The following shall not be
deemed an infringement of copyright in a literary, scientific or
artistic work:
a .
the taking over of parts of works in publications or sound or
visual recordings made for use as illustrations for teaching
purposes, provided:
1° . the work from which
was taken over has been lawfully communicated to the public;
2° . the taking over is in
conformity with that which may be reasonably accepted in
accordance with social custom;
3° . the provisions of
article 25 have been taken into account;
4° . the source is clearly
indicated, together with the indication of the author if it
appears in the source; and
5° . an equitable
remuneration be paid to the author or his successors in
title;
b.
communication to the public of parts of works by broadcasting
a radio or television programme made to serve as an
illustration for teaching purposes, provided:
1° . the work from which is
taken over has been lawfully communicated to the public;
2° . the communication to
the public is in conformity with that which may be
reasonably accepted in accordance with social custom;
3° . the provisions of
article 25 have been taken into account;
4° . the source is clearly
indicated, together with the indication of the author if it
appears in the source; and
5° . an equitable
remuneration be paid to the author or his successors in
title.
2. In the case of a short work
or a work as referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 6° .,
9° . or 11° ., the entire work may be taken over for the same
purpose and subject to the same conditions.
3. Where the taking over in a
compilation is concerned, only short works or short passages of
works by one and the same author may be taken over and, in the
case of works referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 6° .,
9° . or 11° ., only a small number of those works and only if
they are reproduced in such a way that they differ considerably
in size or process of manufacture from the original work, with
the proviso that where two or more such works were communicated
to the public together, the reproduction of only one of them
shall be permitted.
4. The provisions of this
article shall also apply where the reproduction is in a language
other than the original.
5. We reserve the right to lay
down rules by order in council concerning the equitable
remuneration to be paid in accordance with paragraph 1 sub a,
5° . and sub b, 5° ., and also to determine, by order
in council, what is to be understood in paragraph 3 by "short
works or short passages of works".
Article 16a
It shall not be deemed an
infringement of the copyright in a literary, scientific or
artistic work to make a short recording, showing or announcement
thereof in public in a photographic, film, radio or television
report, provided this is necessary in order to give a proper
account of the current affairs that are the subject of the
report.
Article 16b
1. It shall not be deemed an
infringement of the copyright in a literary, scientific or
artistic work to reproduce it in a limited number of copies for
the sole purpose of private practice, study or use of the person
who makes the copies or orders the copies to be made exclusively
for himself.
2. In the case of a daily or
weekly newspaper or periodical or book or the score or parts of
score of a musical work and other works that are reproduced in
these works, the reproduction shall furthermore be limited to a
small portion of the work, except in the case of:
a. works of which it
may reasonably assumed that no new copies will be made
available to third parties for payment of any kind;
b. short articles,
news items or other texts which have appeared in a daily or
weekly newspaper or weekly or other periodical.
3. In the case of a work as
referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 6°., the
reproduction must differ considerably in size or process of
manufacture from the original work.
4. The provisions of paragraph
1 concerning a reproduction made to order shall not apply to a
reproduction made by fixing a work or part thereof on an object
which is intended to play a work or to show it.
5. In the case of a
reproduction permitted under this article, the copies made may
not be given to third parties without the consent of the
copyright owner, except in connection with judicial or
administrative proceedings.
6. We may determine by order in
council that, with respect to the reproduction of works as
referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 1° . the provisions
of one or more of the preceding paragraphs may be departed from
for the purposes of the public service and the performance of
the tasks with which institutions serving the general interest
have been charged. Further rules and conditions may be laid down
to this end.
7. The preceding provisions of
this article shall not apply to the imitating of works of
architecture.
Article 16c
1. A remuneration is owed to
the author or his successor in title for the reproduction in
accordance with article 16b, paragraph 1, for personal
practice, study or use, of a work or part thereof by fixing it
on an object which is intended to show the images or play the
sounds recorded upon it.
2. The manufacturer or importer
of the objects referred to in paragraph 1 shall be liable for
payment of the remuneration.
3. The manufacturer shall be
obliged to pay the remuneration at the time that the objects
manufactured by him can be brought into circulation. The
importer shall be obliged to pay the remuneration at the time of
import.
4. The obligation to pay the
remuneration shall lapse if the person liable for payment
pursuant to paragraph 2 exports the objects referred to in
paragraph 1.
5. The remuneration shall be
paid only once for each object.
Article 16d
1. The remuneration referred to
in article 16c shall be paid to a legal person to be
designated by Our Minister of Justice who is, in his opinion,
representative and who shall be enthrused with the collection
and distribution of such remunerations on the basis of
regulations approved by Our Minister. The legal person referred
to in the preceding sentence shall represent the authors or
their successors in title at law and otherwise in matters
relating to the collection of the remuneration. The said legal
person shall be subject to supervision by Our Minister of
Justice.
2. Further regulations
regarding the exercise of supervision over the legal person
referred to in paragraph 1 may be laid down by order in council.
Article 16e
1. The level of the
remuneration referred to in article 16c shall be
determined by a foundation to be designated by Our Minister of
Justice, the board of which shall be so composed as to represent
in an balanced manner the interests of the authors or their
successors in title and the persons liable for payment pursuant
to article 16c, paragraph 2. The chair of the board of
the said foundation shall be appointed by Our Minister of
Justice.
2. The running or playing time
of the object in question shall be of particular importance in
determining the level of the remuneration.
Article 16f
Persons required to pay the
remuneration referred to in article 16c shall be obliged
to submit to the legal person referred to in article 16d,
paragraph 1, either immediately or within a period agreed with
the said legal person, the number and running or playing time of
the objects imported or manufactured by him as referred to in
article 16c, paragraph 1. They shall also be obliged to
give the said legal person, at the latter's request, immediate
access to the documents needed to establish indebtedness and the
level of the remuneration.
Article 16g
Disputes concerning the
remuneration referred to in article 16c shall be
exclusively decided at first instance by the
Arrondissementsrechtbank at The Hague.
Article 16h
1. The reprographic
reproduction of an article in a daily or weekly newspaper or
periodical or of a small portion of a book and of other works
that are reproduced in these works shall not be deemed an
infringement of the copyright in the works, provided that
remuneration is paid.
2. The reprographic
reproduction of an entire work shall not be deemed an
infringement of the copyright in the works, in the case of a
book of which it may reasonably assumed that no new copies will
be made available to third parties for payment of any kind, in
any form, provided that remuneration is paid.
Article 16i
The level of the remuneration
referred to in article 16 h shall be calculated for every
page upon which a work referred to in the first and second
paragraph of that article is reproduced.
The level of the remuneration
shall be determined by order in council and further regulations
and conditions may be laid down.
Article 16j
In the case of a reproduction
permitted under article 16 h , the copies made may,
without the consent of the author or his successor in title,
only be given to persons working in the same enterprise,
organisation, or institution, except in connection with judicial
or administrative proceedings.
Article 16k
The obligation to pay the
remuneration referred to in article 16 h shall lapse
after a delay of three years from the date upon which the
reproduction is made. No payment is needed in the case where the
author or his successor in title has waived the right to
remuneration.
Article 16l
The remuneration
referred to in article 16 h shall be paid to a legal
person to be designated by Our Minister of Justice who is, in
his opinion, representative and who shall be exclusively
entrusted with the collection and distribution of such
remuneration.
The legal person referred to in
the preceding sentence shall represent the authors or their
successors in title and otherwise in matters relating to the
collection of the remuneration.
The legal person referred to in
the first sentence shall apply regulations for the distribution
of the remuneration collected. The regulations shall be approved
by Our Minister of Justice.
The legal person referred to in
the first sentence shall be subject to supervision by a Board of
Supervision, the members of which shall be appointed by Our
Minister of Justice. Further regulations regarding the
supervision shall be laid down by order in council.
The first and second paragraphs
of this article do not apply insofar as the person who is
required to pay the remuneration can prove the existence of an
agreement between herself and the author or his successor in
title according to which payment of the remuneration shall be
made directly to the latter.
Article 16m
Persons required to pay the
remuneration referred to in article 16 h shall be obliged
to report to the legal person referred to in article 16 l
, paragraph 1, the total amount of reprographic reproductions
that they make per year.
The report referred to in the
first sentence does not need to be submitted in case the total
amount of reprographic reproductions made in a year is inferior
to the amount fixed by order in council.
Article 17
[repealed]
Article 17a
1. Rules may be laid down by
order in council, in the general interest, concerning the
exercise by the author of a literary, scientific or artistic
work or his successors in title of copyright with respect to the
communication to the public of such a work by the broadcasting
of a radio or television programme. The said order in council
may state that such a work may be communicated to the public
without the prior consent of the author or his successors in
title. Persons who are thus entitled to communicate a work to
the public shall nevertheless respect the rights of the author
referred to in article 25 and pay the author or his successors
in title an equitable remuneration which, in absence of
agreement, shall be determined, upon demand of the most
interested party, by the court, which may at the same time order
that security be given.
2. The provisions of the
preceding paragraph shall apply mutatis mutandis to the
making and bringing into circulation of objects, with the
exception of reproductions of cinematographic works, intended to
play the whole or part of a musical work by mechanical means,
where in connection with the same musical work such objects have
already been made and brought into circulation either by or with
the consent of the author or his successors in title.
3. Paragraph 1 shall not apply
to:
a. the simultaneous,
unaltered and unabridged broadcasting by a closed-circuit
system, as referred to in article 1 sub g of the Wet
op de Telecommunicatievoorzieningen, of a work
incorporated in a radio or television programme broadcast by
satellite or other transmitter for reception by the public
from another Member State of the European Union or a State
party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area of 2 May
1992;
b. the broadcasting by
satellite of a work incorporated in a radio or television
programme.
Article 17b
1. Unless otherwise agreed, the
right to communicate to the public by broadcasting a radio or
television programme does not include the right to fix the work.
2. The broadcasting
organization authorised to communicate to the public a work as
referred to in the preceding paragraph shall nevertheless be
entitled to fix the work intended for broadcasting, using its
own facilities and solely for the purposes of broadcasting its
own radio or television programmes, provided the fixation of
sounds or images is destroyed within 28 days after the date on
which it was first used to broadcast a radio or television
programme, and in any event within six months after its
manufacture. The broadcasting organization thus entitled to fix
a work shall nevertheless be obliged to respect the rights of
the author referred to in article 25.
3. It may be laid down by order
in council that recordings thus made which possess exceptional
documentary value may be kept in official archives, subject to
the conditions specified in such order.
Article 17c
Congregational singing and the
instrumental accompaniment thereof during a religious service
shall not be deemed an infringement of the copyright in a
literary or artistic work.
Article 17d
An order in council as referred
to in articles 16 b , paragraph 7, 16 i ,
paragraph 2, 16 l , paragraph 3, 16 m , paragraph
2 or 17 a , or any amendment thereto, and all decisions
arising therefrom shall not enter into force before two months
after the date of their publication in the Statute Book.
Article 18
It shall not be deemed an
infringement of the copyright in a work as referred to in
article 10, paragraph 1, sub 6° ., which is permanently
displayed on or along a public road, to reproduce or communicate
to the public such a reproduction, provided the work does not
constitute the main part and the reproduction differs
considerably in size or process of manufacture from the original
work and that, with regard to works of architecture, it is
limited to the exterior thereof.
Article 19
1. The reproduction of a
portrait by or on behalf of the person portrayed or, after his
death, by or on behalf of his relatives, shall not be deemed an
infringement of copyright.
2. If the portrait is of two or
more persons, reproductions thereof by or on behalf of one of
the persons portrayed shall not be lawful without the consent of
the other persons or, during the ten years after their death,
without the consent of their relatives.
3. Furthermore it shall not be
deemed an infringement of copyright to communicate to the public
a photographic portrait in a newspaper or periodical by or with
the consent of one of the persons referred to in paragraph 1,
provided the name of the author is indicated if it appears on
the portrait.
4. This article shall apply
only to portraits which the author was commissioned to make by
or on behalf of the persons portrayed.
Article 20
1. Unless otherwise agreed, the
owner of the copyright in a portrait shall not be entitled to
communicate such a portrait to the public without the consent of
the person portrayed or, during the ten years after his death,
without the consent of his relatives.
2. If an image contains the
portrait of two or more persons, the consent of all the persons
portrayed is needed, or, during the ten years following their
death, the consent of their relatives.
3. The last paragraph of the
preceding article shall apply.
Article 21
If a portrait is made without
having been commissioned by or on behalf of the persons
portrayed, the copyright owner shall not be allowed to
communicate it to the public, in so far as the person portrayed
or, after his death, his relatives have a reasonable interest in
opposing its communication to the public.
Article 22
In the interest of public
safety and for the purpose of the investigation of criminal
offences, images of any nature may be reproduced, publicly
exhibited and distributed by or on behalf of the judicial
authorities.
Article 23
Unless otherwise agreed, the
owner of a drawing, painting, work of architecture, sculpture or
work of applied art shall be entitled, without the consent of
the copyright owner, to exhibit the said work publicly or to
reproduce it in a catalogue in order to sell it.
Article 24
Unless otherwise agreed, the
author of a painting continues, notwithstanding the assignment
of his copyright, to be entitled to make similar paintings.
Article 25
1. Even after assigment of his
copyright, the author of a work has the following rights:
a. the right to oppose
the communication to the public of the work without
acknowledgement of his name or other indication as author,
unless such opposition would be unreasonable;
b. the right to oppose
the communication to the public of the work under a name other
than his own, and any alteration in the name of the work or the
indication of the author, in so far as it appears on or in the
work or has been communicated to the public in connection with
the work;
c. the right to oppose
any other alteration of the work, unless the nature of the
alteration is such that opposition would be unreasonable;
d. the right to oppose
any distortion, mutilation or other impairment of the work that
could be prejudicial to the name or reputation of the author or
to his dignity as such.
2. Upon the death of the
author, the rights referred to in paragraph 1 shall belong,
until the expiry of the copyright, to the person designated by
the author in his last will and testament or in a codicil
thereto.
3. The right referred to in
paragraph 1, sub a, may be waived. The rights referred to
sub b and c may be waived in so far as alterations
to the work or its title are concerned.
4. If the author of the work
has assigned his copyright, he shall continue to be entitled to
make such alterations to the work as he may make in good faith
in accordance with social custom. As long as copyright subsists,
the same right shall belong to the person designated by the
author in his last will and testament or in a codicil thereto,
if it may reasonably be assumed that the author would have
approved such alterations.
Article 25a
For the purposes of this
division relatives means a person's parents, spouse and
children. Each of the relatives may exercise invidually the
rights belonging to him or her. In the event of a dispute, the
court may render a decision which shall be binding on them.
CHAPTER II The exercise and
enforcement of copyright and criminal law provisions
Article 26
Where the copyright in a work
belongs jointly to two or more persons, it may be enforced by
any one of them, unless otherwise agreed.
Article 26a
1. The right to authorise the
simultaneous, unaltered and unabridged broadcasting by a
closed-circuit system, as referred to in article 1 sub g
of the Wet op de Telecommunicatievoorzieningen, of a work
incorporated in a radio or television programme may be exercised
exclusively by legal persons whose aim in accordance with their
bylaws is to protect the interests of rightholders through the
exercise of the right belonging to them as referred to above.
2. The legal persons referred
to in paragraph 1 shall also be entitled to protect the
interests of rightholders who have not instructed them to do so,
where they are exercising the rights defined in their bylaws.
Where there is more than one legal person whose aim according to
their bylaws is to protect the interests of the same category of
rightholders, the rightholder may designate one of them as being
authorised to protect his interests. In the case of rightholders
who have not issued instructions as referred to in the second
sentence, the rights and obligations arising from an agreement
concluded in respect of the broadcast referred to in paragraph 1
by a legal person entitled to exercise the same rights shall
fully apply.
3. Claims against the legal
person referred to in paragraph 1 in respect of the
remunerations it has collected shall lapse 3 years after the
beginning of the day following that on which the broadcast
referred to in paragraph 1 took place.
4. This article shall not apply
to rights as referred to in paragraph 1 belonging to a
broadcasting organization in respect of its own broadcasts.
Article 26b
Parties shall be obliged to
conduct negotiations regarding consent for the simultaneous,
unaltered and unabridged broadcasting, referred to in article 26a,
paragraph 1, in good faith and shall not prevent or hinder
negotiations without valid justification.
Article 26c
1. If agreement cannot be
reached on the simultaneous, unaltered and unabridged
broadcasting of a work as referred to in article 26a,
paragraph 1, each party may call upon the assistance of one or
more mediators. The mediators shall be selected in such a way
that their independence and impartiality are beyond reasonable
doubt.
2. The mediators shall assist
in the conducting of the negotiations and shall be entitled to
serve notice of the proposals to the parties. Each party may
serve notice to the other party of its objections to such
proposals within three months of the date of receipt of the
proposals. The mediators' proposals shall be binding on the
parties unless one of them has served notice of its objections
within the time-limit referred to in the previous sentence.
Notice of the proposals and the objections shall be served on
the parties in accordance with the provisions of Book 1, Title
1, Part 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Article 27
1. Notwithstanding the
assignment of his copyright wholly or in part, the author shall
retain the right to bring an action for damages against persons
who infringe the copyright.
2. After the death of the
author, the right to bring actions for damages as referred to in
paragraph 1 shall belong to his successors or legatees until the
copyright expires.
Article 27a
1. In addition to claiming
damages, the author or his successor in title may request the
court to order anyone who has infringed the copyright to hand
over the profits originating from the infringement and to render
account therefor.
2. The author or his successor
in title may also file one or both of the claims referred to in
paragraph 1 partly or wholly on behalf of a licensee without
prejudice to the latter's right to intervene in proceedings
instituted independently or partly or wholly on his behalf by
the author or his successor in title in order to directly obtain
compensation for the damage he has suffered or to obtain a
proportionate share of the profits to be surrendered by the
defendant. A licensee may file one or both of the claims
referred to in paragraph 1 only if he has obtained the authority
to do so from the author or his succesor in title.
Article 28
1. Copyright shall entitle the
rightholder to claim as his property any goods that are not
filed in the public records and which have been communicated to
the public in violation of copyright or are unauthorised
reproductions, or to apply for them to be destroyed or rendered
useless. The rightholder may bring a claim for the handing over
of the said goods so that they can be destroyed or rendered
useless.
2. The same right to claim
goods exists:
a. with respect to
entrance money paid by persons attending a recitation,
performance, exhibition or presentation which infringes
copyright;
b. with respect to
other monies that may be assumed to have been obtained by or
as a result of an infringement of copyright.
3. The same right to apply for
the destruction or rendering unusable of goods shall apply to
goods that are not filed in the public records and which have
been used to effect an infringement of copyright. The
rightholder may apply for the handing over of the said goods so
that they can be destroyed or rendered unusable.
4. The provisions of the Code
of Civil Procedure concerning seizure and execution for the
purposes of handing over goods that are not filed in the public
records shall apply. In the event of cumulation of seizure the
person seizing pursuant to this article shall take precedence.
5. The court may order that the
handing over be conditional on payment by the plaintiff of a
compensation to be determined by the court.
6. In the case of immovable
property, ships or aircraft which infringe copyright, the court
may order, on the claim of the rightholder, that the defendant
make such alterations as are necessary to end the infringement.
7. Unless otherwise agreed, the
licensee shall have the right to exercise the rights referred to
in paragraphs 1 up and to included 6 in so far as their purpose
is to protect the rights he is entitled to exercise.
Article 29
1. The right referred to in
article 28, paragraph 1, may not be exercised in respect of
goods in the possession of persons who do not trade in such
goods and who have obtained them exclusively for private use,
unless they have infringed the copyright themselves.
2. The claim referred to in
article 28, paragraph 6, may be made against the owner or holder
of the goods that are guilty for the infringement of copyright
concerned.
Article 29a
(deleted)
Article 30
If a person communicates a
portrait to the public without being authorised to do so, the
provisions of articles 28 and 29 on copyright shall apply with
respect to the right of the person portrayed.
Article 30a
1. Acting as a commercial
agent, for profit or otherwise, in matters of copyright in
musical works shall be subject to the permission of Our Minister
of Justice.
2. Acting as a commercial agent
in matters of copyright in musical works shall include: the
conclusion or carrying out, in the name of the agent or
otherwise, on behalf of the authors of musical works or their
successors in title, of agreements concerning the public
performance or the broadcasting in a radio or television
programme by signs, sounds or images of such works or
reproductions thereof, wholly or in part.
3. The performance or
broadcasting in a radio or television programme of
dramatico-musical works, choreographic works and entertainments
in dumb show, and reproductions thereof, where such works are
played without being shown, shall be equated to the performance
or broadcasting in a radio or television programme of musical
works.
4. Agreements as referred to in
paragraph 2 which are entered into without the permission of Our
Minister required pursuant to paragraph 1 shall be null and
void.
5. Further rules shall be laid
down by order in council concerning inter alia the
supervision of those who have obtained the permission of Our
Minister of Justice. The costs of such supervision may be
charged to them.
6. The supervision referred to
in the preceding paragraph may only concern the way in which the
agent carries out the tasks assigned to him. Interested parties
shall be involved in the implementation of such supervision.
Article 30b
1. Upon the request of one or
more commercial or professional organizations which Our Minister
of Justice and Our Minister of Economic Affairs deem
representative, which are legal persons with full legal capacity
and whose aim is to protect the interests of persons who import
into the Netherlands, communicate to the public or reproduce
literary, scientific or artistic works on a professional or
commercial basis, said Ministers may jointly provide that
members of the profession or industry concerned, designated by
them, are obliged to keep their records in a manner to be
indicated by them.
2. A person who fails to fulfil
the obligation referred to in the preceding paragraph is liable
to a fine of the second category. Such failure shall constitute
a lesser offence.
Article 31
A person who intentionally
infringes another person's copyright is liable to a term of
imprisonment of not more than six months or a fine of the fourth
category.
Article 31a
A person who intentionally:
a. publicly offers for
distribution;
b. has in his
possession for the purpose of reproduction or distribution;
c. imports, conveys in
transit or exports, or
d. keeps for profit
an object containing a work
infringing another person's copyright is liable to a term of
imprisonment of not more than six months or a fine of the fourth
category.
Article 31b
A person who commits the
criminal offences referred to in articles 31 and 31a as
his profession or business is liable to a term of imprisonment
of not more than four years or a fine of the fifth category.
Article 32
A person who:
a. offers for public
distribution;
b. has in his
possession for the purpose of reproduction or distribution;
c. imports, conveys in
transit or exports, or
d. keeps for profit
an object having reasonable
grounds to know that it contains a work which infringes another
person's copyright is liable to a fine of the third category.
Article 32a
A person who intentionally:
a. offers for public
distribution;
b. has in his
possession for the purpose of reproduction or distribution;
c. imports, conveys in
transit or exports, or
d. keeps for profit
any means designed exclusively
to facilitate the removal or overriding, without the consent of
the author or his successor in title, of a technical device for
the protection of a work as referred to in article 10, paragraph
1, sub 12° , is liable to a term of imprisonment of not more
than six months or a fine of the fourth category.
Article 33
Acts defined in articles 31, 31a,
31b, 32 and 32a shall constitute serious offences.
Article 34
1. A person who intentionally
makes any unlawful alterations in a literary, scientific or
artistic work protected by copyright, or in its title or the
indication of the author or impairs such a work in any other
way that could be prejudicial to the name or reputation of the
author or his dignity as such is liable to a term of
imprisonment of not more than six months or a fine of the
fourth category.
2. Such an act shall
constitute a serious offence.
Article 35
1. A person who, without being
authorised to do so, publicly exhibits a portrait or
communicates it to the public in any other manner is liable to a
fine of the fourth category.
2. Such an act shall constitute
a lesser offence.
Article 35a
1. A person who, without having
obtained the necessary permission from Our Minister of Justice,
performs acts amounting to acting as a commercial agent as
referred to in article 30a is liable to a fine of the
fourth category.
2. Such an act shall constitute
a lesser offence.
Article 35b
1. A person who intentionally
furnishes false or incomplete information in a written
application or submission on the basis of which the amounts due
are determined by the person who, with the permission of Our
Minister of Justice, acts as a commercial agent in matters of
copyright on musical works, is liable to a term of detention of
not more thans three months or a fine of the third category.
2. Such an act shall constitute
a lesser offence.
Article 35c
A person who intentionally
omits a submission in writing to the legal person referred to in
article 16d, paragraph 1, on the basis of which the
amounts due pursuant to article 16c are determined or
intentionally provides false or incomplete information in such a
submission is liable to a term of detention of not more than
three months or a fine of the third category. Such an act shall
be deemed to constitute a lesser offence.
Article 35d
A person who intentionally
omits a submission as referred to in article 15g or
intentionally provides false information in such a submission
shall be liable to a term of detention of not more than three
months or a fine of the third category. Such an act shall be
deemed to constitute a lesser offence.
Article 36
1. Reproductions declared
forfeit by the criminal court shall be destroyed; the court may,
however, provide in its judgment that they be handed over to the
copyright owner if the latter applies to the office of the Clerk
within one month of the judgment becoming final and conclusive.
2. Upon such handing over,
ownership of the reproductions shall be assigned to the
rightholder. The court may order that handing over be
conditional on payment by the rightholder of a compensation that
shall accrue to the State.
Article 36a
Investigating officers may at
any time, for the purposes of investigating offences punishable
under this Act, require access to any documents or other data
carriers in the possession of persons who in the exercise of
their profession or business import into the Netherlands,
communicate to the public or reproduce literary, scientific or
artistic works, where inspection of such documents or data
carriers may reasonably be deemed necessary for the performance
of their duties.
Article 36b
1. Investigating officers shall
be authorised, for the purposes of investigating offences
punishable under this Act and seizing that what is subject to
seizure, to enter any premises.
2. If they are denied access,
they may effect entry, if necessary with the assistance of the
police.
3. They shall not enter a house
against the will of the occupant except on presentation of a
special warrant in writing from or in the presence of a public
prosecutor or an assistant public prosecutor. An official report
of such entry shall be drawn up by them within twenty-four
hours.
Article 36c
(deleted)
CHAPTER III Duration of
copyright
Article 37
1. Copyright shall expire 70
years after 1 January of the year following the year of the
death of the author.
2. The duration of the
copyright belonging jointly to two or more persons in their
capacity as co-authors of a work shall be calculated from
1 January of the year following the year of the death of the
last surviving co-author.
Article 38
1. The copyright in a work of
which the author has not been indicated or has not been
indicated in such a way that his identity is beyond doubt shall
expire 70 years after 1 January of the year following that in
which the work was first lawfully communicated to the public.
2. The same shall apply to
works of which a public institution, association, foundation or
company is deemed the author, unless the natural person who
created the work is indicated as the author on or in copies of
the work which have been communicated to the public.
3. If the author discloses his
identity prior to the end of the term referred to in paragraph
1, the duration of the copyright in the work concerned shall be
calculated in accordance with the provisions of article 37.
Article 39
Copyright in works for which
the duration of copyright is not calculated in accordance with
article 37 and which have not been lawfully communicated to the
public within 70 years from their creation shall expire.
Article 40
The copyright in a
cinematographic work shall expire 70 years after 1 January of
the year following the year of death of the last of the
following persons to survive: the principal director, the author
of the screenplay, the author of the dialogue and the composer
of the music created for use in the work.
Article 41
For the purposes of article 38,
where a work is published in volumes, parts, instalments, issues
or episodes, each volume, part, instalment, issue or episode
shall be deemed a separate work.
Article 42
Notwithstanding the provisions
of this chapter, the term of copyright which has already expired
in the country of origin of the work may not be invoked in the
Netherlands. The first sentence shall not apply to works whose
author is a national of a Member State of the European Union or
a State party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area of
2 May 1992.
CHAPTER IV
Articles 43-45
(deleted)
CHAPTER V Special provisions
concerning cinematographic works
Article 45a
1. Cinematographic work means a
work consisting of a sequence of images, with or without sound,
irrespective of the manner of fixation, if it is fixed.
2. Without prejudice to the
provisions of articles 7 and 8, the natural persons who have
made a contribution of a creative nature to the making of a
cinematographic work shall be considered the authors of said
work.
3. The natural or legal person
responsible for the making of a cinematographic work with a view
to its exploitation shall be considered the producer of the said
work.
Article 45b
Where one of the authors is
unwilling or unable to complete his contribution to the
cinematographic work, he may not oppose the use by the producer
of that contribution, in so far as it has already been created,
for the purposes of completing the cinematographic work, unless
otherwise agreed in writing. He shall be considered the author
as meant in article 45a of the contribution that he has
made.
Article 45c
A cinematographic work shall be
deemed completed once it is ready for showing. Unless otherwise
agreed in writing, the producer shall decide when the
cinematographic work is ready for showing.
Article 45d
Unless otherwise agreed in
writing by the authors and the producer, the authors shall be
deemed to have assigned to the producer as from the time
referred to in article 45c the right to communicate the
work to the public, to reproduce it as meant in article 14, to
add subtitles to it and to dub the dialogue. The above shall not
apply to those who have composed music for use in the
cinematographic work or those who have written the lyrics
belonging to the music. The producer is indebted an equitable
remuneration to the authors or their successors in title for all
forms of exploitation of the cinematographic work. The producer
is also indebted an equitable remuneration to the authors or
their successors in title if he effects exploitation in a form
that did not exist or was not reasonably foreseeable at the time
referred to in article 45c or if he gives the right to
effect such exploitation to a third party. The remunerations
referred to in this article shall be agreed in writing. The
right to an equitable remuneration for rental cannot be waived
by the author.
Article 45e
In addition to the rights
referred to in article 25, paragraph 1, sub b, c
and d, each author shall be entitled, in relation to a
cinematographic work to:
a. have his name
appear in the usual place in the work in question, together
with his capacity or the nature of his contribution to the
cinematographic work;
b. require that the
part of the film referred to sub b is shown;
c. oppose to indication of
his name in the cinematographic work, unless such objection
would be unreasonable.
Article 45f
The author shall be assumed to
have waived the right to oppose alterations as referred to in
article 25, paragraph 1, sub c, to his contribution
vis-a-vis the producer, unless otherwise agreed in writing.
Article 45g
Each author shall, unless
otherwise agreed in writing, retain copyright in his
contribution where the latter constitutes a work that can be
separated from the cinematographic work. After the moment
referred to in article 45c, each author may, unless
otherwise agreed in writing, communicate his contribution to the
public and reproduce it separately, provided that he does not
thereby prejudice the exploitation of the cinematographic work.
CHAPTER VI Special
provisions concerning computer programs
Article 45h
The communication to the public
by renting the whole or part of a work as referred to in article
10, paragraph 1, sub 12° ., or a reproduction thereof brought
into circulation by or with the consent of the rightholder shall
be subject to the consent of the author or his successor in
title.
Article 45i
Without prejuce to the
provisions of article 13, the reproduction of a work as referred
to in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 12° ., shall include the
loading, displaying, running, transmission and storage, in so
far as these acts are necessary for the reproduction of the said
work.
Article 45j
Unless otherwise agreed, the
reproduction of a work as referred to in article 10, paragraph
1, sub 12° . by the lawful acquirer of a copy of said work,
where this is necessary for the use of the work for its intended
purpose, shall not be deemed an infringement of copyright.
Reproduction, as referred to in the first sentence, in
connection with loading, displaying or correcting errors cannot
be prohibited by contract.
Article 45k
The reproduction of a work as
referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 12° ., by the lawful
user of said work serving as a back-up copy, where this is
necessary for the use of the work for its intended purpose,
shall not be deemed an infringement of copyright.
Article 45l
A person who is entitled to
perform the acts referred to in article 45i shall also be
entitled, while performing them, to observe, study or test the
functioning of the work concerned in order to determine the
ideas and principles underlying it.
Article 45m
1. The making of a copy of a
work as referred to in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 12° , and
the translation of the form of its code shall not be deemed an
infringement of copyright if these acts are indispensable for
obtaining information necessary to achieve the interoperability
of an independently created computer program with other
programs, provided that:
a. these acts are
carries out by a person who has lawfully obtained a copy of
the computer program or by a third party authorised by him to
carry them out;
b. the information
necessary to achieve interoperability is not already readily
available to the persons referred to sub a.; and
c. these acts are
limited to the parts of the original program which are
necessary to achieve interoperability.
2. The information obtained
pursuant to paragraph 1 may not:
a. be used for any
other purpose than to achieve the interoperability of the
independently created computer program;
b. be given to third
parties except where necessary for the interoperability of the
independently created computer program;
c. be used for the
development, production or marketing of a computer program
that cannot be regarded as a new, original work or for other
acts which infringe copyright.
Article 45n
Articles 16b, paragraph
1, and 17, paragraph 1, shall not apply to the works referred to
in article 10, paragraph 1, sub 12° .
CHAPTER VII Protection of
works communicated to the public after expiry of the term of
protection
Article 45o
1. Any person who, after the
expiry of the term of copyright protection, for the first time
lawfully communicates to the public a previously unpublished
work shall enjoy the exclusive right referred to in article 1.
2. The right referred to in
paragraph 1 shall expire 25 years after 1 January of the year
following that in which the work concerned was lawfully
communicated to the public for the first time.
3. The provisions of paragraphs
1 and 2 shall also apply to previously unpublished works which
have never been protected by copyright, the author of which died
more than 70 years ago.
CHAPTER VIII Transitory and
final provisions
Article 46
1. With the entry into force of
this Act, the act of 28 June 1881 on copyright (Statute Book
124) is repealed.
2. However, article 11 of the
latter Act remains in force in respect of works and translations
deposited prior to the date of entry into force.
Article 47
1. This Act shall apply to all
literary, scientific or artistic works published in the
Netherlands for the first time or during the 30 days following
first publication in another country, either before or after its
entry into force, and to all such works not published, or not
thus published, of which the authors are Dutch nationals.
2. For the purposes of the
application of the preceding paragraph, authors who are not
Dutch nationals but are normally resident in the Netherlands
shall be equated with Dutch nationals in respect of unpublished
works or works that have been published after the author has
taken up residence in the Netherlands.
3. A work shall be deemed to
have been published within the meaning of this article when it
has appeared in print with the consent of the author or, in
general, when a sufficient number of copies thereof, of whatever
kind, have been made available with the consent of the author,
to meet the reasonable needs of the public, given the nature of
the work.
4. The performance of a
dramatic, dramatico-musical or musical work, the showing of a
cinematographic work, the recitation or broadcasting in a radio
or television programme of a work and the exhibition of a work
of art shall not be deemed a publication.
5. With regard to works of
architecture and works of art constituting an integral part
thereof, the construction of the work of architecture or the
incorporation of the work of art shall be deemed a publication.
6. Without prejudice to the
provisions of the preceding paragraphs, this Act shall apply to
cinematographic works if the producer thereof has his registered
office or normal place of residence in the Netherlands.
Article 47a
This Act shall remain in force
in respect of all literary, scientific or artistic works
published for the first time by or on behalf of the author prior
to 27 December 1949 in the Dutch East Indies or prior to 1
October 1962 in Dutch New Guinea.
Article 47b
1. This Act shall apply to the
broadcasting by satellite of a work incorporated in a radio or
television programme if the act referred to in article 12,
paragraph 7, takes place in the Netherlands.
2. This Act shall also apply to
the broadcasting by satellite of a work incorporated in a radio
or television programme if:
a. the act referred to
in article 12, paragraph 7, takes place in a country that is
not a Member State of the European Union or a State party to
the Agreement on the European Economic Area of 2 May 1992;
b. the country where
the act referred to in article 12, paragraph 7, takes place
does not offer the level of protection provided for in chapter
II of directive no. 93/83/EEC of the Council of the European
Communities of 27 September 1993 on the coordination of
certain rules concerning copyright and neighbouring rights
applicable to satellite broadcasting and cable retransmission
(OJ EC L 248); and
c. either the
programme-carrying signals are transmitted to the satellite
from an uplink station in the Netherlands or a broadcasting
organization with its principal establishment in the
Netherlands has commissioned the broadcasting and no use is
made of an uplink station situated in a Member State of the
European Union or a State party to the Agreement on the
European Economic Area of 2 May 1992.
Article 48
This Act does not recognise
copyright in works in which, at the time of its entry into
force, copyright had expired under articles 13 or 14 of the Act
of 28 June 1881 on copyright (Statute Book, 124) or in works in
respect of which, on the said date, copyright had expired under
article 3 of the Act of 25 January 1817 (Statute Book, 5)
relating to the rights exercisable in the Netherlands in respect
of the printing and publication of literary and artistic works.
Article 49
Copyright acquired under the
Act of 28 June 1881 on copyright (Statute Book, 124) and
kopijrecht or any right of this nature acquired under
earlier legislation and maintained by the said Act shall
continue after the entry into force of this Act.
Articles 50-50b
(deleted)
Article 50c
1. Anyone who, prior to 1
September 1912, without contravening the provisions of the Act
of 28 June 1881 governing copyright (Statute Book, 124) or of
any treaty, published in the Netherlands or in the Dutch East
Indies a reproduction of a literary, scientific or artistic
work, which did not constitute a reprinting of the whole or part
of a work as referred to in article 10, paragraph 1 sub 1° ., 2°
., 5° . or 7° ., shall not, as a result of the entry into force
of this Act, lose the right to distribute and sell a
reproduction published before that date and any copies
subsequently made. This right passes by inheritance and shall be
assignable wholly or in part. Article 47, paragraph 2, shall
apply mutatis mutandis.
2. The court may, howver, in
response to a written application by the owner of the copyright
in the original work, either abolish wholly or in part the right
provided for in paragraph 1 or award the applicant compensation
for the exercise of said right, in both cases in accordance with
the provisions of the following two articles.
Article 50d
1. An application for the
abolishment wholly or in part of the right referred to in
article 50c may be made only if a new edition of the
reproduction was published after 1 November 1915. Article 47,
paragraph 2, shall apply mutatis mutandis.
2. The application shall be
filed with the Arrondissementsrechtbank in Amsterdam
before the end of the calendar year following that in which
publication took place. The Clerk shall summon the parties to
appear at a time to be determined by the court. The matter shall
be heard in chambers.
3. The application for
abolishment of this right shall only be granted if and in so far
as the court is of the opinion that the moral interests of the
applicant are being harmed by the distribution and sale of the
reproduction. If the application has not been lodged by the
author of the original work, the court shall refuse to grant it
if it is satisfied that the author approved the said publication
of the reproduction. The court shall also dismiss the
application if the applicant has attempted to obtain
compensation from the person exercising the right in question.
The court may dismiss the application if abolishment of the
right would excessively injure the person exercising it in
proportion to the interests of the applicant, which should be
protected. If the court abolishes the said right wholly or in
part, it shall specify the date on which the abolition shall
enter into force.
4. In its decision the court
shall make whatever provisions it deems fair in the light of the
interests of both parties and third parties. The court shall
estimate the costs to both parties and stipulate how the costs
shall be borne by them. Decisions made by the court pursuant to
this article shall not be open to appeal. No court fees shall be
charged in respect of the application of this article.
Article 50e
1. Compensation may be awarded
for the exercise of the right referred to in article 50c
only if a new edition of the reproduction was published after 1
May 1915. Article 47, paragraph 2, applies mutatis mutandis.
2. Paragraphs 2 and 4 of the
preceding article apply.
Article 50e
(deleted)
Article 51
1. The terms of protection
provided for in this Act shall apply, from the date on which
this article enters into force, to works which were protected by
national legislation on copyright on 1 July 1995 in at least one
Member State of the European Union or one State party to the
Agreement on the European Economic Area of 2 May 1992.
2. This Act cannot reduce a
term of protection already in existence on the day before the
date of entry into force of this article.
3. This Act does not affect
lawful acts of exploitation carried out or rights acquired
before the date of entry into force of this article.
4. Anyone who, prior to 24
November 1993, carried out lawful acts of exploitation in
relation to a work, the term of protection for which had expired
before the entry into force of this article and to which this
Act again applies with the entry into force of this article,
shall be entitled to continue such acts of exploitation with
effect from the date of entry into force of this article.
5. Until they expire, rights
which are revived or extended with the entry into force of this
article shall be held by the person who would have been the last
rightholder if the said rights had not been revived or extended,
unless otherwise agreed.
Article 52
This Act may be cited as the
Copyright Act 1912.
Article 53
This Act shall enter into force
in the Kingdom in Europe on the first day of the month following
that in which it is promulgated.
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