March 1, 1996
Stockholm
(Act 1960:729, of December 30, 1960, as amended up to January
1, 1996).
CHAPTER 1.
Subject Matter and Scope
Article 1. Anyone who has created a literary or artistic work shall have copyright in that work, regardless of whether it is
1. a fictional or descriptive representation in writing or speech,
2. a computer program,
3. a musical or dramatic work,
4. a cinematographic work,
5. a photographic work or another work of fine arts,
6. a work of architecture or applied art,
7. a work expressed in some other manner.
Maps and other works of a descriptive nature executed as drawings,
engravings, or in a three-dimensional form, shall be considered
as literary works.
What is prescribed in this Act concerning computer programs shall
apply correspondingly also to preparatory design material for
computer programs.
Article 2. With the limitations stated hereinafter, copyright
shall include the exclusive right to control the work by reproducing
it and by making it available to the public, be it in the original
or an altered form, in translation or adaptation, in another literary
or artistic form, or by other technical means.
As a production of copies shall also be considered the recording
of a work on a material support by means of which it can be reproduced.
A work is made available to the public by public performance,
or by having copies of it placed on sale, leased, lent, or otherwise
distributed to the public, or publicly exhibited. As a public
performance shall also be deemed a performance which takes place
within the framework of commercial activities for a comparatively
large closed group of persons.
Article 3. When a work is reproduced, or when it is made
available to the public, the name of the author shall be stated
to the extent and in the manner required by proper usage.
A work may not be changed in a manner which is prejudicial to
the author's literary or artistic reputation or to his individuality,
nor may it be made available to the public in the manner stated.
The author may, with binding effect, waive his right under this
Article only in relation to uses which are limited as to their
character and scope.
Article 4. A person who has made a translation or an adaptation
of a work or converted it into another literary or artistic form,
shall have copyright in the work in the new form, but his right
to control it shall be subject to the copyright in the original
work.
If a person, in free connection with another work, has created
a new and independent work, his copyright shall not be subject
to the right in the original work.
Article 5. A person who, by combining works or parts of
works, creates a composite literary or artistic work shall have
copyright therein, but his right shall be without prejudice to
the rights in the individual works.
Article 6. If a work has two or more authors, whose contributions
do not constitute independent works, the copyright shall belong
to the authors jointly. However, each one of them is entitled
to bring an action for infringement.
Article 7. A person whose name or generally known pesudonym
or signature appears in the usual manner on copies of the work
or when it is made available to the public, shall, in the absence
of proof to the contrary, be deemed to be its author.
If a work is published without the name of the author being indicated
in the manner prescribed in the first paragraph, the editor, if
he is named, or otherwise the publisher, shall represent the author
until his name is indicated in a new edition or in a notification
to the Ministry of Justice.
Article 8. A work is deemed to have been made public when
it has lawfully been made available to the public.
As work is deemed to have been published when copies thereof have,
with the consent of the author, been placed on sale or otherwise
been distributed to the public.
Article 9. Copyright does not subsist in
1. laws and other regulations,
2. decisions by public authorities,
3. reports by Swedish public authorities,
4. official translations of texts mentioned under 1.- 3.
However, copyright subsists in works of the following kinds when they form part of a document mentioned in the first paragraph:
1. maps,
2. works of drawing, painting or engraving,
3. musical works, or
4. works of poetry.
Article 10. Copyright subsists in a work even if it has
been registered as a design.
Copyright does not subsist in layout designs in semiconductor
products. Special provisions apply to the rights in such designs.
CHAPTER 2
Limitations on Copyright
General Provisions on Limitations
Article 11. The provisions of this Chapter do not limit
the author's right under Article 3, except as provided in Article
26 c.
When a work is used publicly on the basis of the provisions in
this Chapter, the source shall be stated to the extent and in
the manner required by proper usage, and the work may not be altered
more than necessary for the permitted use.
Reproduction for Private Purposes
Article 12. Anyone is entitled to make, for private purposes,
single copies of works which have been made public. Such copies
may not be used for other purposes.
The provisions in the first paragraph do not apply to computer
programs and do not include a right to construct a work of architecture.
The provisions in the first paragraph do not confer a right to engage, for private purposes, another person to
1. make copies of musical works or cinematographic works,
2. make useful articles or sculptures,
3. copy another person's artistic work by artistic reproduction.
Reproduction within Educational Activities
Article 13. Copies of published works may be prepared for
educational purposes by means of reprographic reproduction and
recordings may, f or the same purposes, be made of works broadcast
by sound radio or television, if an extended collective agreement
license applies under Article 26 i. The copies and recordings
thus made may be used only in such educational activities which
are covered by the agreement forming the basis for the extended
collective agreement license.
The first paragraph does not apply if the author has filed a prohibition
against such reproduction with any of the contracting parties.
Article 14. Teachers and pupils may for educational purposes
make recordings of their own performances of works. Such recordings
may not be used for other purposes.
Reproduction within Hospitals, etc.
Article 15. Hospitals and establishments for special service
or care of elderly or disabled persons may make recordings of
sound radio or television broadcasts. The recordings may be used
only within the establishment and within a short time from the
making of the recording.
Reproduction within Certain Archives and Libraries
Article 16. Those archives and libraries which are mentioned in the third and fourth paragraphs may make copies of works, with the exception of computer programs,
1. for purposes of preservation, completion or research,
2. of single articles or short extracts of works or of material which for reasons of security must not be given away in the original form, for delivery to users, or
3. for use in reading devices.
Reproduction as mentioned in the first paragraph items 2. and
3. may be carried out only by means of reprography.
Right to make copies according to this Article have
1. governmental and municipal archival authorities,
2. the National Archive for Recorded Sound and Moving Images,
3. such scientific and research libraries which are operated by public authorities, and
4. public libraries.
The Government may in specific cases grant also certain archives
and libraries other than those mentioned in the third paragraph
a right to make copies under this Article.
Reproduction for Visually Handicapped Persons, etc.
Article 17. Anyone is entitled to make copies printed
in braille of published literary and musical works.
The Government may in specific cases grant libraries and organizations
a right to make copies of published literary works by means of
recording of a recitation of the work or by means of a transfer
from another recording, for lending to visually handicapped persons
and other disabled persons who are not able to acquaint themselves
with the works in written form, Such copying must, however, not
take place in respect of works of which recordings have been put
on the market.
Composite Works for Use in Educational Activities
Article 18. Anyone who, for use in educational activities,
prepares a composite work consisting of works by a comparatively
large number of authors may, in that work, use minor portions
of literary and musical works or short works of any of those categories,
provided that five years have elapsed from the publication of
those vorks. Artistic works may be used in connection with the
text, provided that five years have elapsed from their being made
available to the public. The authors are entitled to remuneration.
The provisions of the first paragraph do not apply to works which
have been created for use in educational activities.
Distribution of Copies
Article 19. When a copy of a literary or musical work or
a work of fine arts has been transferred with the consent of the
author, that copy may be further distributed. However, as regards
copies of computer programs the further distribution is, instead,
allowed after the copy has, with the consent of the author, been
transferred within the European Economic Area.
The provisions in the first paragraph do not constitute a right to make available to the public
1. copies of works, with the exception of buildings and works of applied art, through rental or similar acts, or
2. copies of computer programs in machine-readable form, through
lending.
Exhibition of Copies
Article 20. When a work has been published, those copies
wich are included in the publication may be publicly exhibited.
The same applies when the author has transferred copies of a work
of fine arts.
The provisions of the first paragraph do not confer a right to
exhibit copies of works of fine arts through a film or a televisions
broadcast. Copies of works of fine arts referred to in the first
paragraph may, however, be included in a film or a television
broadcast provided that such inclusion is of minor importance
in relation to the contents of the film or the television program.
Public Performances
Article 21. Anyone may publicly perform published works
1. on occasions when the performance of such works is not the main feature of the event, provided that no admission fee is charged and the event is not for profit, and
2. in educational activities and for divine services.
The provisions of the first paragraph do not apply to dramatic
works or cinematographic works and do not confer a right to use
works in sound radio or television.
Quotations
Article 22. Anyone may, in accordance with proper usage
and to the extent necessary for the purpose, make quotations from
works which have been made available to the public.
Use of Works of Fine Arts and of Buildings
Article 23. Works of fine arts which have been made available to the public may be used
1. in connection with the text in critical or scientific presentations,
2. in newspapers or periodicals in connection with reports on
current news events, except if the work has been created specifically
for reproduction in such a publication.
The provisions of the first paragraph apply only if the use is
carried out in conformity with proper usage and to the extent
called for by the informatory purpose.
Article 24. Works of fine arts may be reproduced in pictorial form and then made available to the public
1. when they are permanently situated outdoors on or at a public place, or
2. if they are exhibited, placed on sale or form part of a collection,
but in such cases only in notices concerning the exhibition or
sale and in catalogues.
Buildings may be freely reproduced in pictorial form and then
made available to the public.
Information on Current Events
Article 25. Works which are seen or heard in the course
of an event may be used in connection with information concerning
the event through sound radio, television, direct transmission
or film. The works may, however, be used only to the extent justified
by the informatory purpose.
Public Debates, Public Documents, etc.
Article 26. Anyone is entitled to reproduce or otherwise make use of oral or written statements
1. before public authorities,
2. in government or municipal representative bodies,
3. in public debates on public matters,
4. at public questionings on such matters.
However, in the application of the provisions in the first paragraph it shall be observed,
1. that writings cited as evidence, reports and similar works may be used only in connection with a report concerning the legal proceeding or case in which they have appeared and only to the extent necessary for the purpose of such a report,
2. that the author has an exclusive right to publish compilations of his statements, and
3. that what is stated during questionings as mentioned in the
first paragraph, item 4. must not be used, on the basis of that
provision, in sound radio or television broadcasts.
Article 26 a. Anyone is entitled to reproduce or otherwise make use of works which form part of the documents mentioned in Article 9, first paragraph, and which are of the kind mentioned in Article 9, second paragraph, items 2 to 4. The author is entitled to remuneration except when the use occurs in connection with
1. the activities of a public authority,
2. a report of the legal proceeding or case in which the work
appears and the work is used only to the extent necessary for
the informatory purpose.
Anyone is entitled to reproduce or otherwise make use of documents
which are prepared by Swedish public authorities but which are
not such as are mentioned in Article 9, first paragraph.
The second paragraph does not apply to
1. maps,
2. technical models,
3. computer programs,
4. works created for educational purposes,
5. works which are the result of scientific research,
6. works of drawing, painting or engraving,
7. musical works,
8. works of poetry, or
9. works copies of which are made available to the public through
public authorities in connection with commercial activities.
Article 26 b. Notwithstanding copyright therein, official
documents shall be made available to the public as prescribed
in Chapter 2 of the Freedom of the Press Act.
Copyright in a photographic work does not prevent the use of the
work in the interest of justice or public security.
Alterations of Buildings and of Useful Articles
Article 26 c. The owner of a building or a useful article
is entitled to alter the property without the consent of the author.
Special Provisions concerning Sound Radio and Television
Article 26 d. Sound radio and television organizations
as specified in particular cases by the Government are entitled
to broadcast such published literary and musical works and works
of fine arts which have been made available to the public, provided
that an extended collective agreement license applies under Article
26 i.
The provisions in the first paragraph do not apply to dramatic
works, nor to other works if the author has prohibited such broadcasting
or there are special reasons to assume that he would oppose the
broadcast. The provisions in the first paragraph do not apply
to retransmissions referred to in Article 26 f.
As regards transmissions via satellite the extended collective
agreement license applies only if the emitting organization simultaneously
carries out an emission through a terrestrial transmitter.
Article 26 e. A sound radio or television organization which has acquired the right to broadcast a work is also entitled to record the work on a material support from which it can be perceived, if this act is made
1. for use in its own broadcasts a few times during a limited time,
2. to ensure evidence concerning the content of the broadcast, or
3. in order to make it possible for a governmental authority
to exercise supervision over the broadcasting activities.
Recordings made in accordance with the provisions of the first
paragraph, items 2 and 3., may be used only for the purposes indicated
there. Such recordings wihch have a documentary value may, however,
be preserved in the Archive for Recorded Sound and Moving Images.
A Government authority which has as its task to supervise advertising
in sound radio and television broadcasts is entitled to make use
of broadcasts to the extent necessary for the purpose.
Article 26 f. Anyone is entitled to distribute to the
public, simultaneously and in an unaltered form, by wireless means
or by cable (retransmission), such works which form part of a
wireless sound radio or television broadcast, if an extended collective
agreement license applies under to Article 26 i.
The provisions of the first paragraph do not apply to works where
the retransmission rights belong to the sound radio or televisions
organization which carries out the original emission.
Special Provisions on Computer Programs
Article 26 g. Anyone who has acquired the right to use
a computer program is entitled to make such copies of the program
and to make such adaptations which are necessary in order for
him to use the program for its intended purpose. This also applies
to corrections of errors.
Anyone who has the right to use a computer program is entitled
to make back-up copies of the program, if this is necessary for
the intended use of the program.
Copies which have been made on the basis of the provisions of
the first and second paragraphs may not be used for other purposes
and may, furthermore, not be used when the right to use the program
has expired.
Anyone who has the right to use a computer program is entitled
to observe, study or test the function of the program in order
to ascertain the ideas and principles which lie behind the various
details of the program. This applies provided that the act is
performed in connection with such loading, display on a screen,
processing, transmission or storing of the program that he is
entitled to make.
Contractual clauses which limit the right of the user under the
second and the fourth paragraphs are null and void.
Article 26 h. The reproduction of the code of a computer program, or translation of its code, is permitted if those acts are required in order to obtain interoperability between the program and another program, provided, however, that the following conditions are met
1. the acts are performed by a person who has the right to use the program or, on his behalf, by a person who is authorized to perform those acts,
2. the information necessary to achieve interoperability has not previously been readily available to the persons referred to in item 1.,
3. the acts are confined to those parts of the original program
which are necessary to achieve interoperability.
The provisions of the first paragraph do not permit the information to be
1. used for purposes other than to achieve the intended interoperability,
2. given to other persons except when necessary for obtaining the intended interoperability,
3. used for the development, production or marketing of a computer program substantially similar in its expression to the protected program, or
4. used for other acts which imply an infringement of the copyright.
Contractual provisions restricting the rights of the user according
to this paragraph are null and void.
Common Provisions Concerning Extended Collective Agreement
Licenses
Article 26 i. An extended collective agreement license
referred to in Articles 13, 26 d and 26 f apply to the use of
works in a specific manner, when an agreement has been concluded
concerning such a use with an organization which represents a
substantial number of Swedish authors in the field concerned.
The extended collective agreement license gives the user the right
to use works of the type referred to in the agreement notwithstanding
the fact that the authors of those works are not represented by
the organization.
In order for a work to be used on the basis of Article 13, the
agreement must have been concluded with someone who pursues educational
activities in organized forms.
The author has a right to remuneration when a work is used on
the basis of Article 26 d.
When a work is used on the basis of Articles 13 or 26 f, the following
applies. The conditions concerning the use of the works which
result from the agreement apply. As regards remuneration deriving
from the agreement and as regards other benefits from the organization
which are essentially paid for out of the remuneration, the author
shall be treated in the same way as those authors who are members
of the organization. Without prejudice to what has now been stated
such authors have, however, always a right to remuneration in
respect of the utilization provided that they claim such a remuneration
within three years from the year in which the use took place.
Claims for remuneration may be directed only against the organization.
Only the contracting organizations are entitled to put forward
claims for remuneration against the user of a work on the basis
of Article 26 f. All such claims shall be forwarded at the same
time.
Chapter 2 a. Remuneration in Connnection with Resale of Copies
of Works of Fine Art.
Article 26 j. When a copy of a work of fine arts, which
has been been transferred, is resold, in the course of the duration
of the copyright protection, by a trader in the exercise of his
business activity, the author has a right to remuneration from
the seller. The author has a right to remuneration also in other
cases, where the sale is brought about by a trader in the exercise
of his business activity. In such a case the remuneration shall
be paid by the trader. The remuneration shall be five per cent
of the sales price with the exclusion of the value added tax.
The author has, however, no right to remuneration
1. where the resale price, with the exclusion of the value added tax, does not exceed one twentieth of the basic amount under the Act (1962:381) on General Insurance,
2. where the copy of the work of fine arts is a copy of a work of architecture, or
3. where the copy of the work of fine arts is a work of applied
art which has been produced in a number of identical copies.
The right to remuneration is personal and can not be transferred.
However, notwithstanding the provisions of Chapter 10, Article
3, of the Marriage Code, the provisions governing the division
of property between spouses, inheritance and will shall apply
to the right after the death of the author.
Only an organization representing a substantial number of Swedish
authors in the field concerned is entitled to claim the remuneration.
The organization shall claim the remuneration in respect of, and
pay the amount to, the person entitled to it after deduction of
a reasonable compensation to the organization for its administrative
costs. If the organization does not claim the remuneration from
the person liable for the payment within three years from the
expiry of the calendar year when the sale tok place, the claim
is no longer valid.
The person who is liable for the remuneration shall, at the request
of the organization, provide details of the sales for which remuneration
is due and which have taken place during the preceding three years.
CHAPTER 3
Transfer of Copyright
General Provisions on Assignments
Article 27. Subject to the limitation which follows from
Article 3, copyright may be transferred entirely or in part.
The transfer of a copy does not include a transfer of the copyright.
In the case of a portrait executed on commission, the author may,
however, not exercise his right without the consent of the person
who commissioned it or, after the death of such a person, the
surviving spouse and heirs.
Provisions governing the transfer of copyright in certain specific
cases are included in Articles 30 - 40 a §. Those provisions
apply, however, only in the absence of an agreement to the contrary.
Article 28. In the absence of an agreement to the contrary,
the person to whom a copyright has been transferred may not alter
the work or transfer the copyright to others. If the copyright
forms part of a business, it may be transferred together with
the business or of part thereof; the tranferor remains liable
for the fulfilment of the agreement.
Article 29. (Revoked)
Public Performance Contracts
Article 30. If the right to peform a work publicly has
been transferred, the transfer shall be valid for a period of
three years and shall not include exclusivity. If a longer term
than three years has been agreed to and an exclusive right has
been transferred, the author may nevertheless perform the work
himself or transfer the right in this respect to others if the
right has not been exercised for a period of three years.
This Article does not apply to cinematographic works.
Publishing Contracts
Article 31. By means of a publishing contract the author
transfers to the publisher the right to reproduce a literary or
artistic work by printing or a similar process and the right to
publish it.
The manuscript or other copy from which the work is being reproduced
shall remain the property of the author.
Article 32. The publisher shall have the right to publish
one edition, which may not exceed, in the case of a literary work,
2 000 copies, in the case of a musical work 1 000 copies, and
in the case of an artistic work 200 copies.
An edition shall be understood as what the publisher produces
at one and the same time.
Article 33. The publisher has the duty to publish the work
within a reasonable time, to ensure the distribution of it in
the usual manner, and to follow up the publishing to the extent
determined by marketing conditions and other circumstances. In
the case of default, the author may rescind the contract and keep
the remineration received. If the author has suffered a damage
which is not covered by the remuneration, such damage shall also
be compensated.
Article 34. If the work has not been published within two
years or, if it is a musical work, four years, from the time when
the author has delivered the manuscript or other copy for reproduction,
the author may, even if there is no fault on the part of the publisher,
rescind the contract and keep the remuneration received. The same
applies when the copies of the work are exhausted and the publisher
has the right to publish a new edition and he fails to do so within
one year from the time of the request by the author to do so.
Article 35. The publisher shall provide the author with
a certification from the printer or whoever else reproduces the
work concerning the number of copies produced.
If during the fiscal year sales have taken place for which the
author is entitled to remuneration, the publisher shall render
account to him within nine months from the end of the year, stating
the number of copies sold during the year and the number in stock
at the end of the year. At his request, the author is also otherwise
entitled to obtain a statement of the number in stock by the end
of the year.
Article 36. If the production of a new edition is initiated
more than one year from the publication of the previous edition,
the author shall be entitled to make, before the production starts,
such changes in the work which can be made without unreasonable
costs and without altering the character of the work.
Article 37. The author is not entitled to publish the work
again in the form or manner covered by the contract, before the
edition or editions which the publisher is entitled to publish
have been exhausted.
When fifteen years have elapsed from the commencement of the publication,
the author is, however, entitled to include a literary work in
an edition of his collected or selected works.
Article 38. The provisions concerning publishing contracts
shall not apply to contributions to newspapers or periodicals.
Articles 33 and 34 shall not apply to contributions to other composite
works.
Film Contracts
Article 39. A transfer of the right to record a literary
or artistic work on a film shall include the right to make the
work available to the public, through the film, in cinemas, on
television or otherwise, and to make spoken parts of the film
available in textual form or to translate them into another language.
This provision does not apply to musical works.
Article 40. If the right to use a literary or musical work
for a film intended for public showing is transferred, the transferee
shall produce the film and make it available to the public within
a reasonable time. If this is not done, the author may rescind
the contract and keep the remuneration received. If the author
has suffered damage which is not covered by the remuneration,
also such damage shall be compensated.
If the cinematographic work has not been produced within five
years from the time when the author fullfilled his obligations,
the author may rescind the contract and keep the remuneration
received, even if there is no fault on the part of the transferee.
Computer Programs Created in Employment Relations
Article 40 a. The copyright in a computer program created
by an employee as a part of his tasks or following instructions
by the employer is transferred to the employer unless otherwise
agreed in contract.
Transfer of Copyright at the Death of the Author, etc.
Article 41. Notwithstanding the provisions in Chapter 10,
Article 3, first paragraph, of the Marriage Code the provisions
governing the division of property between spouses, inheritance
and will shall, after the death of the author, apply to copyright.
An administrator of the estate may not, without the consent of
the heirs, exploit the work in a manner other than that in which
it has been previously exploited.
The author may, with binding effect for the surviving spouse and
heirs of his body, give directions in his will concerning the
exercise of copyright or authorize somebody else to give such
directions.
Article 42. Copyright shall not be subject to legal seizure as long as it remains with the author or with any other person who has acquired the copyright by virtue of division of property between spouses, inheritance or will. The same shall apply to manuscripts and to such works of art which have not been exhibited, placed on sale or otherwise authorized to be made available to the public.
CHAPTER 4.
Duration of Copyright
Article 43. Copyright in a work shall subsist until the
end of the seventieth year after the year in which the author
deceased or, in the case of a work referred to in Article 6, after
the year in which the last surviving author deceased. However,
copyright in a cinematographic work subsists, instead, to the
end of the seventieth year after the death of the last deceased
of one of the following persons, namely the principal director,
the author of the screenplay, the author of the dialogue and the
composer of the music specifically created for the work.
Article 44. In the case of a work which has been made public
without mention of the author's name or generally known signature,
the copyright shall subsist until the end of the seventieth year
after the year in which the work was made public. If the work
consists of two or more interconnected parts, the term shall be
calculated separately for each part.
If the author reveals his identity within the term mentioned in
the first paragraph, the provisions of Article 43 shall apply.
For works which have not been made public and whose author is
not known, the copyright subsists until the end of the seventieth
year after the year in which the work was created.
Article 44 a. Where a work has not been published within
the term referred to in Articles 43 or 44, the person who thereafter
for the first time publishes or makes public the work shall benefit
from such a right in the work which corresponds to the economic
rights of the copyright. The right subsists until the end of the
twenty-fifth year after the year in which the work was published
or made public.
CHAPTER 5.
Certain Rights Neighboring Copyright
Performing Artists
Article 45. A performing artist's performance of a literary or artistic work may not without his authorization
1. be recorded on a phonographic record, a film or another material support from which it can be reproduced, or
2. be broadcast over sound radio or television or be made available
to the public by direct communication.
A performance which has been recorded on a material support as
mentioned in the first paragraph, item 1. may not without the
authorization of the artist be transferred from one such support
to another one, or be made available to the public, until fifty
years have elapsed from the year in which the performance took
place or, where the recording was published or made public within
fifty years from the performance, after the year when the recording
was first published or made public.
The provisions of Articles 3, 6 - 9, 11 - 13, 15, 16, 21, 22,
25 - 26 b, 26 e, 26 f, 27 and 28, 39, first sentence, 41 and 42
shall apply to performances mentioned in this Article.
When a copy of an recording under this Article has, with the consent
of the artist, been transferred within the European Economic Area,
the copy may be distributed further
The provisions of the fourth paragraph do not confer a right to make available to the public
1. copies of recordings, through rental or other similar legal acts, or
2. copies of a film or other material support on which moving
images have been recorded, through lending.
Producers of Recordings of Sounds and of Images
Article 46. A phonographic record, a film or another material
support on which sounds or moving images have been recorded may
not without the authorization of the producer be reproduced or
made available to the public until fifty years have elapsed from
the year in which the recording was made, or, if the recording
was published or made public within fifty years from the recording,
after the year in which the recording was first published or made
public. As a reproduction shall also be considered the transfer
of the recording from one such support to another one.
The provisions of Articles 6 - 9, 11, second paragraph, 12, 13,
15 and 16, 21, 22, 25 - 26 b and 26 e shall apply to recordings
mentioned in this Article. In addition, Article 26 f shall apply
as regards recordings other than such mentioned in Article 47.
When a copy of an recording under this Article has, with the consent
of the producer, been transferred within the European Economic
Area, the copy may be distributed further
The provisions of the third paragraph do not confer a right to make available to the public
1. copies of recordings, through rental or other similar legal acts, or
2. copies of a film or other material support on which moving
images have been recorded, through lending.
Use of Sound Recordings for Public Performances
Article 47. Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles
45, second paragraph, and 46, first paragraph, sound recordings
may be used in a sound radio or television broadcast or in another
public performance. In such a case the producer and the performing
artists whose performances are recorded have a right to remuneration.
If two or more artists have participated in a performance, their
right may only be claimed jointly. As against the person who has
used the recording the claims of the performers and those of the
producers shall be put forward at the same time.
The provisions on sound radio or television broadcasts in the
first paragraph apply also when such a wireless broadcast is redistributed
to the public, simultaneously and without alteration, by wireless
means or by cable (retransmission). As against the person who
carries out the retransmission, the claim for remuneration may
be put forward only through organizations representing a substantial
number of Swedish performing artists or producers. The organizations
shall put forward their claims at the same time as the claims
referred to in Article 26 i, fifth paragraph.
The provisions of Articles 8 and 9, 11, second paragraph, 21,
22 and 25 - 26 a shall apply in the cases mentioned in this paragraph.
As regards the rights of performing artists also the provisons
of Articles 27, 28, 41 and 42 shall apply.
This Article does not apply to sound films.
Sound Radio and Television Organizations
Article 48. A sound radio or television broadcast may not without the authorization of the radio or television organization
1. be recorded on a material support from which it can be reproduced, or
2. be rebroadcast or made available to the public in places where
the public has access against an entrance fee.
A broadcast which has been recorded on a material support as mentioned
in the first paragraph, item 1. may not without the consent of
the broadcasting organization be transferred on another such material
support until fifty years have elapsed from the year in which
the broadcast took place. Furthermore, the material supports may
not without the authorization of the organization be made available
to the public before the same time has elapsed.
The provisions of Articles 6 - 9, 11, second paragraph, 12, 15,
16, 21, 22, 25 - 26 b and 26 e shall apply in respect of sound
radio and television broadcasts referred to in this Article.
When a copy of a recording under this Article has, with the consent
of the organization, been transferred within the European Economic
Area, that copy may be further distributed.
If a sound radio or television organization has a claim for remuneration
for such a retransmission as referred to in Article 26 f which
has taken place with the authorization of the organization, the
claim shall be put forward at the same time as the claims referred
to in Article 26 i, fifth pargraph.
Producers of Catalogues, etc.
Article 49. A catalogue, a table or another similar production
in which a large number of information items have been compiled
may not be reproduced without the authorization of the producer
until ten years have elapsed from the year in which the production
was published.
The provisions of Articles 6 - 9, 11, second paragraph, 12, first
paragraph, 13, 16 - 18, 26 - 26 b and 26 e shall apply also to
productions referred to in this Article. If a production of this
kind, or a part thereof, is subject to copyright, also copyright
protection may be claimed.
Photographers
Article 49 a. Anyone who has produced a photographic picture
has an exclusive right to reproduce the picture and to make it
available to the public. This right applies regardless of whether
the picture is used in its original form or an altered form and
regardless of which technique has been used.
As a photographic picture is considered also a picture which has
been produced by a process analogous to photography.
The right under the first paragraph subsists until fifty years
have elapsed from the year in which the picture was produced.
The provisions of Articles 2, second and third paragraphs, 3,
7 - 9, 11, 12, first paragraph, 13, 15, 16, 18 to 20, 23, 24,
first paragraph, 25 - 26 b, 26 d - 26 f, 26 i - 28, 31 to 38,
41, 42 and 50 - 52 shall apply to pictures referred to in this
Article. If such a picture is subject to copyright, also copyright
protection may be claimed.
CHAPTER 6.
Special Provisons
Article 50. A literary or artistic work may not be made
available to the public under such a title, pseudonym or signature
that the work or its author may be easily confused with a work
which has previously been made available to the public or with
its author.
Article 51. If a literary or artistic work is performed
or reproduced in a manner vhich violates cultural interests, a
Court may, upon action by an authority appointed by the Government,
issue an injunction prohibiting such use, under penalty of a fine.
This provision shall not apply during the lifetime of the author.
Article 52. In connection with the adjudication of a fine,
the Court may prescribe reasonable measures in order to prevent
misuse of copies which are the subject of a prohibition under
Article 51 and devices which can be used only for the production
of such copies. Such a measure may prescribe that the property
shall be destroyed or altered in a specific manner.
The provisions of this Article do not apply in relation to a person
who has acquired the property, or a right therein, in good faith.
The property referred to in the first paragraph may be taken into
custody awaiting the measures mentioned in that Article; the general
provisions on custody in criminal actions shall apply.
Article 52 a. Anyone wanting to carry out a retransmission
by wire of works forming part of a wireless sound radio or television
broadcast and who requests an agreement with an organization representing
Swedish right-owners or with a sound radio or television organization
carrying out emissions within the European Economic Area but is
denied such an agreement on the terms requested, is, upon request,
entitled to negociations with the organization or the sound radio
or television organization, respectively.
A party which which has a duty to participate in such negociations
shall personally or through a representative attend a meeting
for such negociations and, if so is deemed necessary, put forward
a reasoned proposal for the solution of the question which the
negociation concerns. The parties may agree on another form for
negociations than a meeting.
Anyone not complying with the provisions of the second paragraph
shall pay a compensation for the damage incurred. In the considerations
concerning if and to what extent a damage has been caused to someone,
also his interest in that the provision is applied and to circumstances
other than such of a purely economic character shall be taken
into account.
CHAPTER 7.
Penal and Civil Liability.
Article 53. Anyone who, in relation to a literary or artistic
work, commits an act which infringes the copyright enjoyed in
the work under the provisions of Chapters 1 and 2 or which violates
directions given under Article 41, second paragraph, or Article
50, shall be punished by fines or imprisonment for not more than
two years, if the act is committed wilfully or with gross negligence.
Anyone who for his private use reproduces a computer program which
is published, or of which a copy has been transferred with the
consent of the author, shall not be liable for criminal sanctions,
if the master copy is not used in commercial or public activities
and he does not use the copies produced of the computer program
for use other than his private one.
The provisions of the first paragraph apply also if a person imports
into Sweden copies of a work for distribution to the public, if
such copies have been produced abroad under such circumstances
that a similar production here whould have been punishable under
that paragraph.
Anyone who has violated an injunction issued under penalty of
a fine under Article 53 a, may not be adjudicated to criminal
liability for the infringement covered by the injunction.
Attempts to commit acts mentioned in the first or third paragraphs
as well as the planning of such acts shall be punishable according
the provisions of Chapter 23 of the Criminal Code.
Article 53 a. At the request of the author or his successor
in title or of a person who, on the basis of a license, has the
right to use the work, the Court may issue an injunction prohibiting,
under penalty of a fine, a person who commits an act implying
an infringement of, or a violation referred to in, Article 53
to continue that act.
If the plaintiff shows a probable cause that an act implying an
infringement or a violation as referred to in Article 53 takes
place and if it can reasonably be expected that the defendant,
through the continuation of the act, diminishes the value that
the copyright confers, the Court may issue an injunction for the
time until the case has been finally adjudicated or otherwise
is decided. No injunction may be issued before the defendant has
been given an opportunity to respond, unless a delay would entail
a risk for damage.
An injunction as mentioned in the second paragraph may be issued
only if the plaintiff deposits a security with the Court for the
damage which may be caused to the defendant. If the plaintiff
is not capable of depositing such a security, the Court may liberate
him from making such a deposit. As regards the type of security,
the provisions of Chapter 2, Article 25, of the Enforcement Code
shall apply. The security shall be examined by the Court unless
the defendant has accepted it.
When the case is adjudicated, the Court shall decide whether a
prohibition issued under the second paragraph shall continue to
apply.
The provisions on appeal against decisions in Chapter 15 of the
Code of Judicial Procedure shall apply as regards appeals against
decisions under the second and third paragraphs and as regards
the proceedings in higher Courts.
A request for the imposition of a fine may be made by the person
who has requested the injunction. In connection with such an imposition,
a request may be made for a new injunction to be issued under
penalty of a fine.
As regards the contents of wireless broadcasts and broadcasts
by wire, the provisions of the Radio Act (1966:755) apply.
Article 54. Anyone who exploits a work in violation of
this Act or of directions given under Article 41, second paragraph,
shall pay such a compensation to the author or copyright owner
as will constitute a reasonable remuneration for the exploitation.
In the case of an exploitation carried out wilfully or with gross
negligence, a compensation shall be paid also for losses other
than lost remuneration as well as for mental suffering and for
other injury.
Anyone who otherwise wilfully or with negligence commits an act
involving an infringement or a violation under Article 53, shall
pay to the author or his successor in title a compensation for
losses, mental suffering or other injury caused by the act.
Article 55. Anyone who commits an act involving an infringement
or a violation under Article 53 shall, if so is considered reasonable,
surrender to the author or his successor in title, for a compensation,
the property involved in the infringement or the violation. The
same shall apply to type matter, printing blocks, moulds or other
similar devices which can be used only for the production of property
of the kind now mentioned.
Instead of issuing an order for surrender as prescribed in the
first paragraph, the Court may, at the request of the author or
his successor in title, in accordance with what is considered
reasonable, order that such property shall be destroyed or altered
in specific ways or that other measures shall be taken to prevent
unauthorized use. Such a request may be made also by a public
prosecutor, if so is considered desirable from the point of view
of public interest. Orders as mentioned in this paragraph shall
not be issued if surrender or measures for the prevention of unauthorized
use are to be decided under the Criminal Code.
The provisions of the first and the third paragraphs shall not
apply in respect of persons who have in good faith acquired the
property or a right in it, nor in cases involving the construction
of a work of architecture.
If property other than such mentioned in the first paragraph has
been used for such manufacturing of copies of works which is a
criminal violation under this Act, the property or its value may
be ordered to be surrendered if such a measure is considered necessary
to prevent criminal violations or there are otherwise special
reasons for such an order. This shall apply also in relation to
property which has been used in connection with attempts to commit
violations as mentioned here or which form part of the planning
of such violations.
Article 56. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 55,
the Court may, if it so considers reasonable in view of the artistic
or economic value of the copies of a work or of other circumstances,
upon a request to that effect, decide that the copies, against
the payment of a specific remuneration to the author or his successor
in title, be made available to the public or otherwise used for
their intended purpose.
Article 57. The provisions of Articles 53 to 56 shall
apply also to the rights which are protected under provisions
in Chapter 5.
Article 57 a. Anyone who, in cases other than those referred
to in Article 53, sells, leases or offers for sale or possesses
for sale, lease or other commercial purposes a device intended
solely for facilitating unauthorized removal or circumvention
of a device placed in order to protect a computer program against
unauthorized reproduction, shall be punished by fines or imprisonment
for not more than six months.
Article 58. The District Court of Stockholm shall have
jurisdiction in cases involving sound radio or television broadcasts
in violation of this Act. The same shall apply in cases involving
claims for remuneration under Articles 18, 26 a, first paragraph,
26 i, third paragraph, or 47, and in cases where a corresponding
remuneration is claimed on the basis of a reference in Articles
45, 46, 48, 49 or 49 a, and also in cases concerning remuneration
for retransmissions under Article 26 f.
Article 59. A criminal action for violation of this Act
may be instituted by a public prosecutor only if there is a complaint
from the injured party or if such an action is called for in the
public interest.
An action relating to a violation of the provisions in Article
3 or of directions given under Article 41, second paragraph, may
be instituted by the surviving spouse of the author, by his heirs
in the ascending or descending line or by his brothers or sisters.
If there are reasons to believe that a criminal violation under
this Act has occurred, the property mentioned in Article 55 may
be taken into custody; the general rules governing custody in
criminal cases shall apply.
CHAPTER 8.
Applicability of the Act
Article 60. The provisions of this Act concerning copyright apply to:
1. works of Swedish citizens or persons who have their habitual residence in Sweden,
2. works first published in Sweden or simultaneously in Sweden and abroad,
3. cinematographic works the producer of which has his headquarters or habitual residence in Sweden,
4. works of architecture constructed here,
5. works of fine arts incorporated in a building here or in some
other way permanently fixed to the ground.
For the purposes of the application of the first paragraph, item
2, a simultaneous publication shall be considered to have taken
place if the work has been published in Sweden within thirty days
from its publication abroad. For the purposes of the application
of the first paragraph, item 3, the person whose name appears
on a cinematographic work shall, in the absence of a proof to
the contrary, be deemed to be the producer of the said work.
The provisions of Article 26 j apply to works of persons who are
Swedish citizens or who have their habitual residence in Sweden.
The provisions of Article 44 a apply to acts of publication or
of making public by persons who are Swedish citizens or who have
their habitual residence in Sweden. The provisions apply also
to acts of publication or of making public by legal entities having
their headquarters in Sweden.
The provisions of Articles 50 and 51 apply to all literary or
artistic works regardless of their origin.
Article 61. The provisions of Articles 45, 47 and 48 apply
to performances, sound recordings and sound radio and television
broadcasts which take place in Sweden. In addition, the provisions
of Article 45 apply to performances of persons who are Swedish
citizens or who have their habitual residence in Sweden, the provisions
of Article 47 to sound recordings the producer of which is a Swedish
citizen or a Swedish legal entity or a person having his habitual
residence here, and the provisions in Article 48 to broadcasts
by sound radio and television organizations which have their headquarters
in this country. The provisions of Article 46 apply to sound recordings
and to recordings of moving images the producer of which is a
Swedish citizen or a Swedish legal entity or has his habitual
residence in Sweden as well as to such recordings of moving images
which take place in Sweden. The provision of Article 46 concerning
reproduction applies, however, to all sound recordings.
The provisions of Article 49 apply to productions the producer
of which is a Swedish citizen or a Swedish legal entity or who
has his habitual residence in Sweden as well as to productions
which have been first published in Sweden.
Of the provisions in Article 49 a, the reference to Articles 50 and 51 apply to all photographic pictures and the other provisions to photographic pictures,
1. the producer of which is a Swedish citizen or has his habitual residence in Sweden,
2. which have been first published in Sweden or simultaneously in Sweden and abroad,
3. which have been incorporated in a building or another construction
which is permanently fixed to the ground, if the building or the
construction is situated in Sweden.
For the purposes of the application of the third paragraph, item
2, the publication shall be considered to have taken place simultaneously
if the work has been published in Sweden within thirty days from
its publication abroad.
Article 61 a. When a work or another subject matter protected
under this Act is communicated to the public via satellite, the
act which is relevant from the point of view of copyright and
neighboring rights shall be deemed to take place in the country
where the broadcasting organization, under its control and its
responsibility, introduces the subject matter into an uninterrupted
chain of communication to the satellite and from there down towards
the earth.
What has been said now does not apply if the introduction has
taken place in a country which is not part of the European Economic
Area and which does not apply the level of protection provided
for in Chapter 2 of the Directive of the European Communities
No 93/83/EEG of September 27, 1993.
If, in cases referred to in the second paragraph, the transmission
to the satellite takes place in a country member of the European
Economic Area, the act which is relevant from the point of view
of copyright and neighboring rights shall be deemed to take place
in the country from where the transmission takes place. If the
transmission to the satellite does not take place in a country
member of the European Economic Area but the sound radio or television
organization which has decided the transmission has its headquarters
in a country member of that Area, the act relevant from the point
of view of copyright and neighboring rights shall be deemed to
take place in that country.
Article 62. On condition of reciprocity, or where this
follows from such an agreement with a foreign State or with an
intergovernmental organization which has been approved by the
Parliament, the Government may provide for the application of
this Act in relation to other countries. The Government may also
provide for the application of the Act to works and photographic
pictures first published by an intergovernmental organization
and to unpublished works and photographic pictures which such
an organization may publish.
CHAPTER 9.
Provisions Governing the Entry Into Force and Transitional
Provisions.
Article 63. This Act enters into force on July 1, 196l.
(Other provisions on the entry into force of this Act and of subsequent
amendments to the Act are not included).