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Document 32001L0029
Copyright and related rights in the information society
The directive harmonises key rights granted to authors and neighbouring rightholders (the reproduction right, the right of communication to the public and the distribution right) and — to a lesser degree — exceptions and limitations to these rights. It also harmonises the protection of technological measures and of rights management information, sanctions and remedies.
Reproduction right
EU Member States must provide for the exclusive right to authorise or prohibit direct or indirect, temporary or permanent reproduction by any means and in any form, in whole or in part:
Right of communication to the public
Member States must provide authors with the exclusive right to authorise or prohibit any communication to the public of their works. This includes making their works available to the public in such a way that members of the public may access them when and where they choose.
Member States must also provide for the exclusive right to authorise or prohibit the making available to the public:
Distribution right
Exceptions and limitations
The directive sets out an exhaustive list of exceptions and limitations to rights, in order to facilitate the use of protected content in specific circumstances.
There is a mandatory exception to the right of reproduction for certain temporary acts of reproduction which are an integral and essential part of a technological process (temporary copies), and which aim to enable a lawful use or a transmission in a network between third parties by an intermediary, of a work or other subject matter.
Legal protection
Protection of rights-management information
Member States must provide legal protection against any person knowingly performing without authority any of the following acts:
Sanctions and remedies
Member States must provide for appropriate sanctions and remedies in case of infringements of the rights harmonised in this directive. They have to ensure that rightholders can apply for an injunction against intermediaries whose services are used by a third party to infringe a copyright or related right.
Amendments to Directive 2001/29/EC
Directive 2001/29/EC has been amended twice by:
Directive 2001/29/EC has applied since 22 June 2001 and had to become law in the Member States by 22 December 2002.
For more information, see:
Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society (OJ L 167, 22.6.2001, pp. 10–19)
Successive amendments to Directive 2001/29/EC have been incorporated in the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Directive 2019/789/EU on the exercise of copyright and related rights applicable to certain online transmissions of broadcasting organisations and retransmissions of television and radio programmes (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, pp. 82–91)
Directive 2019/790/EU on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019, pp. 92–125)
Regulation 2017/1128/EU on cross-border portability of online content services in the internal market (OJ L 168, 30.6.2017, pp. 1–11) (‘Portability Regulation’)
See consolidated version.
Regulation 2017/1563/EU on the cross-border exchange between the Union and third countries of accessible format copies of certain works and other subject matter protected by copyright and related rights for the benefit of persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled OJ L 242, 20.9.2017, pp. 1–5) (Regulation implementing the Marrakech Treaty in the EU)
Directive 2017/1564/EU on certain permitted uses of certain works and other subject matter protected by copyright and related rights for the benefit of persons who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise print-disabled (OJ L 242, 20.9.2017, pp. 6–13) (Directive implementing the Marrakech Treaty in the EU)
Directive 2014/26/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on collective management of copyright and related rights and multi-territorial licensing of rights in musical works for online use in the internal market (OJ L 84, 20.3.2014, pp. 72–98) (‘CRM Directive’)
Directive 2012/28/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on certain permitted uses of orphan works (OJ L 299, 27.10.2012, pp. 5–12) (‘Orphan Works Directive’)
Directive 2009/24/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the legal protection of computer programs (Codified version) (OJ L 111, 5.5.2009, pp. 16–22) (‘Software Directive’)
Directive 2006/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on rental right and lending right and on certain rights related to copyright in the field of intellectual property (codified version) (OJ L 376, 27.12.2006, pp.28–35) (‘Rental and Lending Directive’)
Directive 2006/116/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on the term of protection of copyright and certain related rights (codified version) (OJ L 372, 27.12.2006, pp. 12–18) (‘Term Directive’)
See consolidated version.
Directive 2004/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the enforcement of intellectual property rights (OJ L 157, 30.4.2004, pp. 45–86) (‘IPRED’). Text republished in corrigendum (OJ L 195, 2.6.2004, pp. 16–25)
See consolidated version.
Directive 2001/84/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 September 2001 on the resale right for the benefit of the author of an original work of art (OJ L 272, 13.10.2001, pp. 32–36) (‘Resale Right Directive’)
Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 1996 on the legal protection of databases (OJ L 77, 27.3.1996, pp. 20–28) (‘Database Directive’)
See consolidated version.
Council Directive 93/83/EEC of 27 September 1993 on the coordination of certain rules concerning copyright and rights related to copyright applicable to satellite broadcasting and cable retransmission (OJ L 248, 6.10.1993, pp. 15–21) (‘Satellite and Cable Directive’)
See consolidated version.
last update 23.09.2021