Copyrights Law in Croatia
Croatia's copyright framework is governed by the Copyright and Related Rights Act (Zakon o autorskom pravu i srodnim pravima), enacted on October 22, 2021. This legislation aligns Croatian law with EU Directives 2019/790 and 2019/789, modernising copyright protection in the digital age)
📚 Key Features of Croatia’s Copyright Law
1. Automatic Copyright Protection
Copyright in Croatia arises automatically upon the creation of a work, without the need for registration. However, authors may voluntarily register their works with the Croatian Copyright Agency to establish evidence of authorship. (dziv.hr, kashishworld.com)
2. Duration of Copyright
The duration of copyright protection is:
Life of the author + 70 years for original works.
70 years from lawful disclosure for anonymous or pseudonymous works.(kashishworld.com)
These terms apply irrespective of when the work is lawfully released. (kashishworld.com)
3. Related Rights
In addition to copyright, the Act provides protection for related rights, which include:(gov.hr)
Performers in their performances.(dziv.hr)
Producers of phonograms in their phonograms.(
Audiovisual producers in their videograms.(
Broadcasting organisations in their programme signals.
Publishers of press publications in their press publications.
Producers of non-original databases in their non-original databases
4. Digital and Cross-Border Use
The Act introduces provisions to address digital and cross-border use of works, including:(
Country-of-origin principle for cross-border internet broadcasting services.)
Text and data mining for academic purposes without compensation.
Digital teaching for non-commercial educational purposes.
Collective management organisations (CMOs) are authorised by the State Intellectual Property Office to manage copyright and related rights on behalf of right holders. These organisations operate based on transparency and must publish annual reports on their activities.
⚖️ Notable Exceptions and Limitations
The Act includes exceptions and limitations to copyright protection, such as
Preservation of cultural heritage: Allows cultural heritage institutions to reproduce works for preservation purposes.
Incidental inclusion: Permits the use of copyrighted works in certain incidental contexts.
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