Newsletter | Intellectual Property Rights | New Copyright Act in force from 1 July 2018

On 1 July 2018 the new Copyright Act of 15 June 2018 came into force. The Act is intended to modernise, simplify and clarify the language and structure of the 1961 Act and to adapt it to the digital society.

Further, the Act aims to strengthen the rights holders’ position, including securing a fair income for originators. This objective is balanced against the users’ interest in accessing copyrighted works. Amongst the new provisions are a right to reasonable compensation for creators and performing artists upon transfer of copyrights, a prohibition on streaming works which unlawfully are made available on the Internet, and new penal provisions and provisions on claims for compensation and damages.

Oslo District Court has been made compulsory legal venue for infringement claims. A proposed provision on employee works, which caused a heated debate at the preparatory stage, was not adopted.

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