Exploitatierecht
Exploitation right
The exploitation right is the exclusive right of the author or rightholder to exploit a work commercially, for example by means of reproduction, disclosure to the public or the grant of licences.
In Dutch copyright law, the right of exploitation constitutes the core of the author’s economic rights. It confers upon the right holder the authority to determine the commercial use of the work and to grant third parties permission to exploit it in return for remuneration.
This right is significant in that it enables the author to derive income from the work while retaining control over its dissemination. Absent such a right, unauthorised exploitation would erode the work’s value and undermine the incentive structure for creative production.
In practice, the right of exploitation is frequently assigned by contract to publishers, producers or platforms, giving rise to licensing arrangements in sectors such as music, film and publishing.
“The author assigned his exploitation rights to the publisher to enable publication of the book in multiple languages.”
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