COPYRIGHT

Under the Danish Copyright Act, the originator of a literary or artistic work holds copyright in that work. The Act was thoroughly reviewed by Parliament in 1995 and has subsequently been amended in 1996, 1998 and 2001.

Examples of protected works are literature, music, theatre, film, the visual arts – including photography, architecture, the decorative arts – and computer programs. It is the expression of the work which is protected – that is to say, the work’s singular design or presentation. Protection does not extend to ideas, concepts, procedures, methods or algorithms.

Copyright applies from the moment of creation of the work. Thus, protection does not depend on any kind of registration. The copyright runs for 70 years following the death of the copyright holder.

Infringement of copyright may incur civil liability and criminal liability in the form of fines or imprisonment.

RELATED RIGHTS
Provisions aimed at protecting performing artists (actors, musicians, dancers, etc), audio producers (record companies), film producers, radio and TV companies, photographers and producers of catalogues, tables, databases etc are also covered by the Copyright Act.

The term of protection for these rights is 50 years from the time of production. The term of protection for databases etc, however, only runs for 15 years from production or publication. Registration is no prerequisite for protection in this field either.

INTERNATIONAL OBLIGATIONS
The Copyright Act fulfils Denmark’s international obligations with regard to the protection of rights set forth in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), the Berne Convention, the Rome Convention, and the European Agreement on Protection of Television Broadcasts. The Act also complies with European directives on the protection of computer programs, rental and lending rights, satellite broadcasting and cable re-transmission, the term of protection, and the protection of databases.

COLLECTING SOCIETIES
Rightholders under the Copyright Act have established collecting societies, which administer the copyright on behalf of the holder. Examples of collecting societies in Denmark are COPY-DAN, KODA, NCB and Gramex.

Under the COPY-DAN umbrella, such societies recover and distribute remuneration paid in connection with cable re-transmission of television programmes, the sale of blank audio and video tapes, as well as the copying of protected material. COPY-DAN also administers remuneration for the commercial resale of works of art (droit de suite) and the exclusive rights of painters and sculptors.

KODA is in charge of authors’ rights to public performances
of music.

Nordic Copyright Bureau takes care of the mechanical rights of music in connection with the distribution of CDs, films, etc.

Gramex controls the remuneration to performers and producers from sound recordings in connection with public performances on radio and television and other public performances.

ADDRESSES

COPY-DAN
Østerfælled Torv 10
DK-2100 Copenhagen Ø
Tel. +45 35 44 14 00
www.copydan.dk

KODA
Landemærket 23-25
P.O. Box 2154
DK-1016 Copenhagen K
Tel. +45 33 30 63 00
www.koda.dk

Nordisk Copyright Bureau (NCB)
Frederiksgade 17
P.O. Box 2094
DK-1013 Copenhagen K
Tel. +45 33 12 87 00
www.ncb.dk

Gramex
Gl. Kongevej 11-13, 2.
DK-1610 Copenhagen V
Tel. +45 33 85 32 00
www.gramex.dk