Copyright Law of The European Union - Protected Rights

Protected Rights

The following rights are protected by European Union law:

• right of reproduction for authors, performers, producers of phonograms and films and broadcasting organisations
• right of communication to the public for authors, performers, producers of phonograms and films and broadcasting organisations
• right of distribution for authors and for performers, producers of phonograms and films and broadcasting organisations
• right of fixation for performers and broadcasting organisations
• right of rental and/or lending for authors, performers, producers of phonograms and films, with an associated right of equitable remuneration for lending and/or rental for authors and performers
• right of broadcasting for performers, producers of phonograms and broadcasting organisations
• right of communication to the public by satellite for authors, performers, producers of phonograms and broadcasting organisations
• right of computer program reproduction, distribution and rental for authors

Moral rights are usually considered to be a matter for the national laws of the Member States, although some countries classify some of the above rights, especially the right of communication to the public, among the moral rights of the author rather than under his rights of exploitation.