Copyrights Law in Norway
Here’s a detailed overview of Copyright Law in Norway:
📜 Copyright Law in Norway
1. Legal Framework
Norway’s copyright law is governed by the Norwegian Copyright Act (Åndsverkloven), originally enacted in 1961 and substantially updated in 2018 to align with EU directives, especially the InfoSoc Directive.
Norway is a member of the European Economic Area (EEA) and thus follows relevant EU copyright directives.
It is also a signatory to major international treaties:
Berne Convention
WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT)
Rome Convention (for related rights)
TRIPS Agreement
2. Protected Works
Norwegian law protects:
Literary works (books, articles, software)
Artistic works (paintings, drawings, sculptures)
Musical compositions and sound recordings
Audiovisual works (films, TV programs)
Photographs (both artistic and non-artistic)
Dramatic and choreographic works
Databases with creative elements
3. Rights Granted
Economic Rights:
Right to reproduce, distribute, and communicate the work to the public
Right to make adaptations and translations
Rental and lending rights for certain works
Moral Rights:
Right to be recognized as the author
Right to object to any distortion or modification that harms the author’s honor or reputation
4. Duration of Protection
Generally, life of the author + 70 years.
For joint works, 70 years after the last surviving author’s death.
Anonymous or pseudonymous works: 70 years from first publication.
Photographs and audiovisual works may have specific provisions.
For sound recordings and broadcasts, protection usually lasts 50 years from creation or publication.
5. Limitations and Exceptions
Norwegian law provides exceptions including:
Private copying for personal use (with levies on copying devices)
Use for education and research
Quotation and criticism with proper attribution
Use in libraries and archives
Temporary acts of reproduction necessary for technical processes
6. Related Rights
Performers’ rights
Producers of phonograms and films
Broadcasting organizations
7. Enforcement
Civil remedies such as injunctions and damages
Criminal penalties for intentional infringement on a commercial scale
Border controls to prevent entry of infringing goods
8. Collective Management
Norway has strong collective management organizations (CMOs) such as TONO for music rights and Kopinor for literary rights, which manage licensing and royalty collection.
9. Digital Environment
Norway enforces anti-circumvention rules for DRM.
Liability provisions exist for Internet Service Providers.
Protection of rights management information is enforced.
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