Copyright
Copyright is the exclusive right of the author of an original work to reproduce, distribute and commercially exploit that work.
Copyright, often referred to in Dutch as auteursrecht, protects creative works such as texts, music, images and software against unauthorised reproduction. The right arises automatically upon creation and enables the rights holder to grant licences or to take action against infringement.
In the Netherlands, protection subsists for seventy years after the author’s death. It is relevant both to individual creators and to businesses seeking to safeguard their intellectual property in a digital environment.
In practice, copyright is frequently invoked in disputes concerning plagiarism, illegal downloads or unauthorised commercial exploitation of works.
“The photographer invoked his copyright to prevent the unauthorized publication of his photographs.”
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