Copyrights Law in Greece
Certainly! Here's an overview of Copyright Law in Greece:
🇬🇷 Copyright Law in Greece
Greece's primary legislation governing copyright and related rights is Law 2121/1993, titled "On Copyright, Related Rights and Cultural Matters." This law has been amended several times to align with European Union directives and international treaties. The most recent significant amendments include:(Mondaq)
Law 4481/2017: Implemented EU Directive 2014/26 on collective management of copyright and multiterritorial licensing.
Law 4531/2018: Amended provisions related to the term of protection and the protection of audiovisual works.(Greek Law Digest, Wikimedia Commons)
Greece is also a member of key international treaties, including the Berne Convention, the Rome Convention, and the WIPO Copyright Treaty. The Hellenic Copyright Organization (OPI) is the national authority responsible for copyright matters.(Opi)
📘 Key Features of Greek Copyright Law
1. Protected Works
Greek copyright law protects original literary, artistic, and scientific works expressed in any form. The law provides an indicative list of protected works, including:(Mondaq)
Written or oral texts
Musical compositions with or without words
Theatrical works
Choreographies and pantomimes
Audiovisual works
Works of fine art, including drawings, paintings, and sculptures
Engravings and lithographs
Architectural works
Photographs
Works of applied art
Illustrations, maps, and three-dimensional works related to geography, topography, architecture, or science(Mondaq, Global Practice Guides)
Protection is granted automatically upon creation, without the need for formal registration. However, the OPI offers a voluntary online timestamping service to help authors establish the existence and date of their works.(Global Practice Guides)
2. Duration of Protection
The duration of copyright protection varies based on the type of work:
Individual works: Life of the author plus 70 years after death, calculated from 1 January of the year after the author's death.
Joint works: Life of the last surviving author plus 70 years.
Anonymous or pseudonymous works: 70 years from 1 January of the year after the work was first lawfully made available to the public.
Audiovisual works: 70 years after the death of the last surviving of the following: principal director, author of the screenplay, author of the dialogue, or composer of the music specifically created for the work.
Posthumous works: If not published during the author's lifetime, protection lasts 70 years from 1 January of the year after the work was first lawfully made available to the public.(Wikimedia Commons)
After the expiration of copyright protection, the State may exercise moral rights on behalf of the author.(Wikimedia Commons)
3. Rights Granted
Greek copyright law recognizes both economic and moral rights:
Economic rights: Include the right to reproduce, distribute, perform, broadcast, adapt, and translate the work.
Moral rights: Include the right to claim authorship and to object to any distortion, mutilation, or other modification of the work that would prejudice the author's honor or reputation.
These rights are protected from the moment of creation.
4. Enforcement and Remedies
In case of copyright infringement, Greek law provides for:
Civil remedies: Including injunctions, damages, and the destruction of infringing copies.
Criminal sanctions: Including imprisonment and fines.
Infringements committed on a commercial scale may lead to more severe penalties, including imprisonment of not less than one year and fines ranging from €2,900 to €15,000. If the financial gain or damage caused is particularly serious, imprisonment may be not less than two years, and fines may range from €6,000 to €30,000.(Greek Law Digest)
5. International Treaties
Greece is a member of several key international copyright treaties:
Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works (since 1975)
Rome Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations (since 1992)
WIPO Copyright Treaty (since 2003)
WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (since 2003)
These memberships ensure that Greek works are protected in other member countries and vice versa.
📌 Summary Table
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Governing Law | Law 2121/1993, as amended |
| Duration | Life + 70 years (general rule) |
| Protected Works | Literary, artistic, musical, audiovisual, applied art, etc. |
| Registration | Not required; voluntary timestamping service available |
| Enforcement | Civil remedies and criminal sanctions |
| International Treaties | Berne Convention, Rome Convention, WIPO Copyright Treaty, WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty |
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