RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE IP/Q/LIE/1
24October 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-4448)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related
Aspects ofIntellectual Property
REVIEW OFLEGISLATION ONCOPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS
Liechtenstein1
Thepresent document reproduces thestatement made bythedelegation ofLiechtenstein in
thereview oflegislation oncopyright andrelated rights attheCouncil 'smeeting of22to25July19962.
_______________
TheLiechtenstein copyright lawconsists oftheCopyright Actof26October 1928asamended
in1959and1988,distributedasdocumentIP/N/1/LIE/C/1,andtheOrdinanceoncertainrightsregarding
intellectual property, adopted on30January 1996, distributed asdocument IP/N/1/LIE/C/2/Rev.1.
Iwould liketomention thatsince theintroduction oftheCopyright Actonlyfivelawcases have
occurred.
Liechtenstein isamember oftheBerne Convention, buthasnotyetratified Articles 1-21of
theStockholm version. Based ontheprovisions inArticle 6oftheCopyright Act,national treatment
isaccorded inconformity withinternational conventions, suchastheBerne Convention andtheTRIPS
Agreement.
TheCopyright Actitself isdivided intofivemain sections:
(i) general provisions
(ii) scope ofcopyright
(iii) terms ofprotection
(iv) legalprotection
(v) finalprovisions
- Protected areworks ofliterature andart,aswellasphotographs, collections, reproductions
suchastranslations orother works ofindividual nature. Compilation ofdataisprotected by
theUnfair Competition Act. Computer programs areregulated bytheordinance andare
protected asliterary works.
./.
1Liechtenstein'snotificationoflawsandregulationsintheareaofcopyright
and related rights under Article 63.2 ofthe Agreement has been circulated indocuments
IP/N/1/LIE/1, IP/N/1/LIE/C/1 and2,andIP/N/1/LIE/C/2/Rev.1.
2Theminutes ofthemeeting have been circulated indocument IP/C/M/8.IP/Q/LIE/1
Page2
- Thescope ofcopyright consists oftheexclusive rightoftherightowner toreproduce hisor
herwork, tosellortobring intocirculation inanother manner copies ofhiswork, tohave
itperformed inpublic, topresent hisnotyetpublished work atanexhibition, tobroadcast
itandtohaveitbroadcasted. These rights contain aswellreproduction inatransformed manner,
forinstancetranslation,instrumentalisationorcinematographicalwork.Pursuanttotheordinance
thisalsoincludes therighttorentandlendsuchworks.
Exempt from copyright areprivate use,legaltexts, reproduction ofspeeches heldinpublic,
literary work published innewspapers, iftheyarenotmarked withanindication ofthecopyright holder
orshortquotes withcompulsory reference totheauthor andsimple news. Thesameapplies toscientific
andeducational works. Private useexcludes commercial benefits.
Related rights including therights ofperforming artists, therights ofproducers ofsound
recordings andvideograms, therights offilmproducers andtherights ofbroadcasting corporations
areprotected bytheordinance. Therespective provisions concerning thelending andrental rights,
aswellastheabove mentioned exceptions, apply totherelated rights. Asthereisnonational collecting
society inLiechtenstein, there isnonational system ofcollective remuneration. Rightholders from
WTO member states arefreetoaskforindividual remuneration. Should thisbesubject toadispute,
thejudge hasthediscretion todecide upon theequitable remuneration.
- Ingeneral, theterms ofprotection are50years forcopyright andrelated rights.
- Infringements ofcopyright andrelated rights aresubject tocivilandcriminal procedures and
remedies incompliance withPartIIIoftheTRIPS Agreement. Thisincludes provisional
measures incivilprocedures andimprisonment orfinesupto360,000 Swiss Francs incriminal
procedure.
- Theintroduction ofborder measures ispending inparliament which willdealwiththisquestion
initsnextsession inSeptember.