The development of copyright within the European Union

The efforts of the European Union to harmonise copyright are caused by two factors 1. The need to adjust copyright to digital technology 2. The creation of an internal market within the European member states These efforts have resulted in several copyright directives. For libraries the most important directives are the directives on rental- and lending rights, on harmonising the term of protection, and on legal protection of databases. These directives strengthen authors' rights. In the spring of 2001 a new important copyright directive has been adopted. This directive, on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the Information Society, attempts to set new standards for authors rights to control the use of their works in respect to reproductions, communication to the public by electronic means, and distribution of hard copies. Heavy lobbying by the library community had the effect of saving present user and library privileges. However, the list of exceptions to authors rights is now a closed list. No new exceptions are allowed for works on digital media. Therefore, in the future new developments on users' access to information in digital formats have to be dealt with within the framework of licensing agreements. The Commission now contemplates whether there is a need to regulate the activities of the collecting societies.