IP/N/1/GRC/11  
IP/N/1/GRC/C/5  
 
20 July 2023  
(23-4964) Page: 1/3 
Council for Trade -Related Aspects of  
Intellectual Property Rights  Original: English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION OF LAWS AND REGULATIONS  
UNDER ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE TRIPS AGREEMENT  
GREECE : LAW 4481/2017 - COLLECTIVE MANAGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT AND RELATED RIGHTS, 
MULTI -TERRITORIAL LICENSING IN MUSICAL WORKS FOR ONLINE USE IN THE  
INTERNAL MARKET AND OTHER ISSUES FALLING WITHIN THE SCOPE  
OF THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE AND SPORTS  
Notifying Member  GREECE 
 
Details of the notified legal text  
 
Title Law 4481/2017 - Collective management of copyright and related rights, 
multi-territorial licensing in musical works for online use in the internal 
market and other issues falling within the scope of the Ministry of Culture 
and Sports  
Subject matter  Copyright and related rights  
Nature of 
notification  [X] Main dedicated intellectual property law or regulation  
[  ] Other law or regulation  
Link to legal text* https://ip -documents.info/2023/IP/GRC/23_11157_00_e.pdf  
Notification status  [X] First notification  
[  ] Amendment or revision to notified legal text  
[  ] Replacement or consolidation of notified legal text(s)  
Previous 
notification(s) 
referred to  Not applicable  
Brief description of the notified legal text  
 
Operation of Collective Management Organizations and of Independent Management Entities within 
the Greek territory.  
 
The amendments included herein refer to the reformulation of the status and foremost of the 
conditions that need to be cumulatively fulfilled in order for a CMO or an IME to lawfully operate as 
such within the Greek territory. Moreover, a special provision devoted to IMEs had been recently 
amended (as follows) in order to oblige IMEs to refer to the HCO a number of documents within a 
time-frame of three (3) months from the commencement of their op eration, while they are also now 
obliged to post to their official websites their repertoire. Further, it had been stated that IMEs cannot 
become a member of a CMO in relation to the management of copyright and related rights that f all 
under the mandatory collective management regime. Last, Article 48 provides for the EU rule of 
bilateral communication and exchange of information between national authorities – supervising 
bodies at each member State in respect of the compliance of a foreign CMO or an IME to  the national 
system of the country where they are located.  
 
See in particular Articles 4, 32 and 48 of Law 4481/2017 (details under "Other information " below) . IP/N/1/GRC/11 • IP/N/1/GRC/C/5  
 
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  Language(s) of 
notified legal text English  
Entry into force  13 December 2020  
Other date   Adoption: 13 December 2020  
 
Notification details  
 
Submission date 
of notification  15 June 2023  
Other information  See in particular Articles 4, 32 and 48  
 
Art. 4  
https://www.opi.gr/en/library/law -4481-2017#a4  
 
Paragraphs 7 –9 of Article 4 of the Law 4481/2017 on "Collective management 
of copyright and related rights, m ulti-territorial licensing in musical works for 
online use in the internal market and other issues falling within the scope of 
the Ministry of Culture and Sports " had been amended under Article 52 of 
Law No. 4761/2020 ( https://www.e -nomothesia.gr/kat -arxaiotites/nomos -
4761-2020-phek-248a-13-12-2020.html ). These provisions refer to the 
conditions that need to be fulfilled in order for CMOs and IMEs established in 
another EU member State to be able to operate within the Greek territory by 
requiring the submission of specific documents as well as of the issuing of a 
respective decision by the Minister of Culture and Sports.  
 
Art. 32 
https://www.opi.gr/en/library/law -4481-2017#a32  
 
Operation of Independent Management Entities (IMEs) within the Greek 
territory  
 
Under Art. 51(3) of Law 4761/2020 paragraph 1 of Art. 32 had been 
amended, while paragraph 4 of the said provision concerning future 
notification obligations of IMEs had been abolished. This provision concerned 
IMEs' obligation to submit to the HCO a number of docume nts within a time –
period of three (3) months from the commencement of their operation. 
However, this provision was added again under Law 4996/2002 (Official 
Government Gazette (FEK) 218/Α/24.11.2022) ( https://www.e -
nomothesia.gr/kat -pneumatike -idioktesia/n -4996-2022.html ) by the means 
of which Directives (EU) 2019/789 and 2019/790 were implemented into the 
national legal order.  
 
According ly, it is now again provided that IMEs shall submit, within three 
months from their operation, to the HCO the information provided by 
sections  a), b), c), f), g) h), i) and ji) of paragraph 1 of Article 28 
(https://www.opi.gr/en/library/law -4481-2017#a28 ), as well as information 
concerning representation agreements in the case where they operate as 
exclusive representatives. Such information is updated imm ediately following 
its amendment and, in any case, once a year, until the 31st of January, in 
accordance with paragraph 7 of Article 4. Completion or explanation on such 
information may be requested.  
 IP/N/1/GRC/11 • IP/N/1/GRC/C/5  
 
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   In addition, paragraph 5 was added to this provision which dictates that IMEs 
under this Article are not allowed to become a member of a Collective 
Management Organization or to enter into any other contractual relationship 
with him on the object of mandat ory collective management of rights and of 
their distribution to right holders.  
 
Art. 48  
https://www.opi.gr/en/library/law -4481-2017#a48  
 
The amendment c oncerned paragraph 2 of the said provision which was 
introduced under paragraph 4 of Art icle 51 of Law No. 4761/2020. It is 
accordingly provided that, where the HCO considers that a CMO or an IME, 
which is established in another EU member State and operate s within the 
Greek territory, might be not compliant with the provisions of the national 
law of the member State in which it is established and which had been set 
out for the purpose of adaptation to the Directive, it transmits, by notifying 
the Minister o f Culture and Sports, all relevant information to the competent 
authority of the member State in which the organization or the independent 
management entity is established. Such information may be complemented 
by an application to the authority to receive all appropriate measures within 
its competence. If the HCO receives respective information or an application 
from a competent authority of another member State of the EU for a CMO or 
an IME which is established in Greece but operates in another member Stat e, 
it transmits the application or information to the Ministry of Culture and 
Sports and recommends the taking of appropriate measures. The HCO 
provides for a reasoned reply to the competent authority within three (3) 
months from the receipt of the applica tion. 
 
See also:  
 
IP/N/1/GRC/9   
(Law 2121/1993  on Intellectual property, related rights and cultural issues ) 
 
and  
 
IP/N/1/EU/C/9   
(Directive 2014/26/EU "on the collective management of copyright and 
related rights and multi -territorial licensing in musical works for online use in 
the internal market" ) 
 
Agency or 
authority 
responsible  Hellenic Copyright Organization (OPI -HCO)  
 
 
* Links are provided to texts of laws and regulations notified under the TRIPS Agreement in the form 
supplied by the Member concerned; the WTO Secretariat does not endorse or revise their content.