European Communities Address Digital Copyright

Last July the Commission of the European Communities released a draft
of its long-awaited study, Copyright and Related Rights in the
Information Society, an exploratory document about developing a proper
legal framework for copyright in an age of digital technology.  It
explores several general questions such as the applicability of
current laws; and specific rights, such as reproduction rights, the
concept of "public" rights, the issue of moral rights, exploitation
rights, and the study of specific rights that might be applicable to
different types of digital transmission.  In general, the document
advocates a conservative approach to altering copyright law.  It does
propose, however, to distinguish a right of digital dissemination and
a right of digital broadcasting.

The European Green Paper is part of a process of consultation, and
interested parties were asked to comment on the numerous questions
identified in the report to the Directorate-General XV, Unit XV/E-4,
Rue de la Loi-Wetstraat 200, B-1049 Brussels, Belgium (email:
E4@DG15.cec.be).

The report is available from:
The Office for Official Publications of the European 
Commission L-2985 Luxembourg (Catalogue Number:  
CB-CO-95-421-EN-C; ISBN:  92-77-92580-9; COM (95) 
382 Final, July 19, 1995)


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ARL 182
A Bimonthly Newsletter of Research Library Issues and Actions
Association of Research Libraries
October 1995