Limitations: The Centerpiece of Copyright in Distress - An Introduction

• Author: Thomas Dreier
• Position: Prof., Dr. iur., M. C. J. (New York University), Director, Institute for Information and Economic Law, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and Honorary Professor, University of Freiburg, Germany.
• Pages: 50-54

2010

Thomas Dreier

50

1

Abstract: After the exclusive rights in copy-

right have been consolidated in a century-long his-

torical development, limitations and exceptions have

become the main instrument to determine the ex-

act scope of copyright. Limitations and exceptions

do not merely fine-tune copyright protection. Rather,

they balance the interests of authors, rightholders,

competitors and end-users in a quadrupolar copy-

right system. Understanding this is of particular im-

portance in the digital and networked information

society, where copyrighted information is not only

created and consumed, but constantly extracted, re-

grouped, repackaged, recombined, abstracted and in-

terpreted.

However, serious doubts exist whether the present,

historically grown system of limitations adequately

balances the interests involved in the information

society. Both the closed list of limitations allowed

under Art. 5 of the EU Information Society Directive

2001/29/EC and a narrowly interpreted three-step

test contained in Arts. 13 TRIPS and 5 (5) of the In-

formation Society Directive appear as obstacles in

the way of achieving the appropriate balance needed.

This brief article outlines the issues involved which

were discussed at the International Conference on

“Commons, Users, Service Providers – Internet (Self-)

Regulation and Copyright” which took place in Han-

nover, Germany, on 17/18 March 2010 on the occa-

sion of the launch of JIPITEC.

Limitations: The Centerpiece

of Copyright in Distress

An Introduction

by Thomas Dreier, Karlsruhe

Prof., Dr. iur., M. C. J. (New York University), Director, Institute for Information and Economic Law, Karlsruhe

Institute of Technology (KIT), and Honorary Professor, University of Freiburg, Germany.

© 2010 Thomas Dreier

Everbody may disseminate this article by electronic means and make it available for download under the terms and

conditions of the Digit al Peer Publishing Licence (DPPL). A copy of the license tex t may be obtained at http://nbn-resolving.

de/urn:nbn:de:00 09-dppl-v3-en8 .

Recommended citation: Thomas Drei er, Limitations: The Centerpiece of Copyright in Dis tress - An Intr oduction, 1 (2010)

JIPITEC 50, para . 1.

Keywords: Copyright, Exceptions, Limitations, Three-Step Test, Information Society Directive

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