Copyright and Neighbouring Rights

Copyright and related rights

Copyright and related rights provide an incentive for the creation of and investment in new works and other protected matter (music, films, print media, software, performances, broadcasts, etc.) and their exploitation, thereby contributing to improved competitiveness, employment and innovation. The field of copyright is associated with important cultural, social and technological aspects, all of which have to be taken into account in formulating policy in this field.

Copyright and the Internal Market

There has been significant harmonisation of the substantive copyright law to reduce barriers to trade and to adjust the framework to new forms of exploitation. Common ground is also needed with respect to the rules on the enforcement of rights, i.e. on access to justice, sanctions and remedies regarding infringements. In order to grasp the full potential of marketing intellectual property rights in the Internal Market, complementary measures on the management and licensing of these rights may also prove necessary. The Internal Market DG's task is to enforce the "acquis" on copyright and related rights; to advance it further and to modernise and adapt it to new developments in technology or the markets concerned as this is an evolving scenario.

The economic impact of copyright

The copyright industries are critically important to the European Community because they involve media, cultural, and knowledge industries. Development in the industries is indicative of performance in post-industrial society especially where related to the information society. Copyright industry contributed more than €1,200 billion to the economy of the European Union, produced value added of €450 billion, and employed 5.2 million persons in 2000. The total gross value added, which measures wealth added to the economy, represented more than 5.3 % of the total value added for the 15 EU Member States. In terms of employment, the industries contributed 3.1 % of total EU employment.

The international aspects of copyright

Directorate-General Internal Market is also responsible for conducting negotiations on industrial and intellectual property within World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) (e.g. audiovisual, broadcasting, resale right, databases, etc.), for participating in the relevant WIPO General Assemblies, and for contributing to the work of other international fora on IPR related matters with a view to ensuring adequate protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) internationally.