The Future of Copyright Limitations

Institute for Information Law

University of Amsterdam

www.ivir.nl

Bernt Hugenholtz

2

Preserve or Abolish Limitations?

• Users: – ‘what goes offline, must go online’

• Right holders: – digital environment allows individual

licensing (‘pay as you go’)– no need for limitations

3

Three Types of Limitations

• Fundamental rights• Public interest• Market failure

4

Limitations Based on Fundamental Rights

• Freedom of expression and information– quotation right, parody– news reporting– scientific communication

• Privacy– private use

• Preserve in digital environment

5

Limitations Based on Public Interest

• Education– classroom teaching– compilations

• Culture– library privileges– archives, musea

• Re-evaluate in digital environment– how to delimit limitations?

6

Limitations Based on Market Failure

• Transaction costs prohibit licensing

• Examples:– In-company photocopying – Music in small restaurants and bars

• Digital environment favours transactional models

• Abolish market failure-based limitations

7

The Three Step Test

• Art. 13 TRIPs = 10.2 WIPO Copyright Treaty ( >9.2 BC)

– ‘certain special cases’– no conflict with normal exploitation– no prejudice to authors/rights holders

• WTO Panel Decision, June 2000 (EU v. US):– exemption may not become rule– validity of public policy objective not tested

8

European Copyright Directive(Common Position)

• Caching and browsing exemption• ‘Shopping list’ of optional limitations

– exhaustive list, no ‘safety net’ provision– ‘fair’ remuneration in certain cases– subject to 3-step test

• Contractual override not prohibited• Complex anti-circumvention rules

– MS’s may take measures against ‘digital lock-up’

9

The Shopping List

• Reproduction– Reprography

– Private use

– Libraries, schools, museums, archives

– ‘Ephemeral’ recording

• broadcasting

– Social institutions

• Repro & communication– Teaching & research

– Disabled

– News reporting

– Criticism, parody

– Proceedings

– Speeches

– Religion

– Public places

10

Conclusions

• Limitations are here to stay

• Not all limitations are created equal