WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION  
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE  
ORGANIZACIÓN MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
11 April 2008 
 (08-1666) 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects  
of Intellectual Property Rights Original:   English/ 
 anglais/  inglés 
 
 
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY 
LAWS AND REGULATIONS NOTIFIED UNDER 
ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
 
ARMENIA 
  The present document reproduces the text
1 of Law on Copyright and Related Rights, adopted 
on 5 June 2006, as notified by Armenia under Ar ticle 63.2 of the Agreement (see document 
IP/N/1/ARM/2). 
 
 Conseil des aspects des droits de propriété 
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce  
  
PRINCIPALES LOIS ET RÉGLEMENTATIONS CONSACRÉES À LA 
PROPRIÉTÉ INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIÉES AU TITRE 
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD 
 
ARMÉNIE 
  Le présent document contient le texte
1 de la Loi sur le droit d'auteur et les droits connexes 
adoptée le 5 juin 2006, notifiée par l'Arménie au titre de l'article 63:2 de l'Ac cord (voir le document 
IP/N/1/ARM/2). 
 
 Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad 
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio  
 
 
PRINCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA 
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD 
DEL PÁRRAFO 2 DEL ARTÍCULO 63 DEL ACUERDO 
 
ARMENIA 
 
 En el presente documento se reproduce el texto
1 de la Ley de derecho de autor y derechos 
conexos, adoptada el 5 de junio de 2006, que Armenia ha notificado en virtud del párrafo 2 del 
artículo 63 del Acuerdo (véase el documento IP/N/1/ARM/2). 
 
                                                      
 1 In English only. The text in the original language is available for consultation by interested 
Delegations at the WTO Secretariat./En anglais seulemen t.  Les délégations intéressées peuvent consulter le 
texte dans sa langue d'origine, au Secrétariat de l'OM C./En inglés solamente.  Las delegaciones interesadas 
podrán consultar en la Secretaría de la OMC el texto en su idioma original. IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 2  
 
Adopted by the National Assembly  
15 June 2006   
Law on Copyright and Related Rights 
 
Chapter 1 - General Provisions
 
Chapter 2 - Copyright  
Chapter 3 - Related Rights  
Chapter 4 - Administration of Rights  
Chapter 5 - Protection of C opyright and Related Rights  
Chapter 6 - Final Provisions  
 
Chapter 1: General Provisions 
 
Article 1. The Subject of Regulation of the Law  
 This Law regulates:  a) the relations connected with the rights of authors with respect  to their works in the domains 
of science, literatur e, art (copyright); 
b) the rights of performers to their perform ances, the rights of producers of phonograms in 
respect to their phonograms, the ri ghts of film producers in respect  to their fixed films, the 
rights of broadcasting organizations to thei r programs, the rights of publishers to the 
typographical arrangements of their editions, the ri ghts of makers of database to the database 
made by them (related rights); c) collective administration of economic rights.  Article 2. Copyright and Related Rights Legislation  
 (1) The copyright and related rights legislation consists of the Constitu tion of the Republic of 
Armenia, the Civil Code of the Republic of Arme nia, this Law, other laws and legal acts, the 
international agreements of the Republic of Armenia.  (2) If the ratified international agreements of  the Republic of Armenia state norms other than 
those stated by this Law the norms of international agreements shall apply.  
 
Chapter 2: Copyright 
 
Article 3.  Subject Matters of Copyright  
 
(1) Subject matters of copyright  shall be the unique outcome of  a creative activity in the 
domain of science, literature and art (hereinafter referred to as “works”) created individually 
or jointly, which are expressed in spoken, wr itten or any other objectively perceivable 
manner, including permanently or temporarily st orage in electronic form, regardless of the 
scope, significance, merits and purpose of creation.  
 (2) A spoken work not expressed in a tangible form  is considered objectively perceivable if it 
is made available to the public by public r ecitation, public performance or in other mode.  
  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
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(3) Copyright covers works both ma de public and not made public.  
 (4) Subject matters of copyright are: a) literary, scientific works, as well as computer programs; b) works of painting, sculpture, graphics , design and other works of fine arts; 
c) dramatic and dramatico-musical works, scen arios, scenario sketches, librettos, and other 
works created for staging;  d) choreographic and pantomimic works; e) musical works with or without words; f) audiovisual works ( cinematographic, televisi on films, animation films and cartoon films, 
musical clips, advertisement, documentary and fact-documentary, and other films ); 
g) works of applied decorati ve art and stage graphics; 
h) photographic works and works created by analogous modes, which comply with the 
provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article; i) works of urban planning, architecture, lands caping and their solutions both in whole and 
separate parts thereof; j) maps, plans, sketches and plastic work s related to geography, topography, geology, urban 
planning, architecture and other sciences; 
k) derivative works, particularly:  i translations, adaptations of works, change s, arrangements and rearrangements, , stage 
versions, audiovisual adaptations and other transformations of works in the scientific, literary 
and art domain, which are in compliance w ith paragraph (1) of  this Article;  
ii collections of works (encyclopedias, anthol ogies), databases and other composite works, 
which are, by the reason of the selection and (o r) arrangement of their contents, results of a 
creative work; l) parts (titles, personages, etc.) of a work, wh ich are in compliance with  paragraph (1) of this 
Article and can be used separately; 
m) fonts n) other works in compliance with paragraph (1) of this Article. 
 Article 4. Non-Protected Works  
 (1) Copyright protection sh all not be afforded to: 
a) expressions of traditional folklore and art; b) daily news or informati on on current fact s and events; 
c) official documents: legal acts, treatie s and the official translations thereof; 
d) state emblems and signs (flags, coat s of arms, medals, monetary signs);  
e) political speeches, speeches  delivered in the court; 
f) results obtained by technical means without the intervention of human creative activity. 
 
(2) Copyright shall not cover sc ientific discoveries, ideas, pr inciples, methods, procedures, 
viewpoints, systems, ceremonies, scientific th eories, mathematical formulas, statistical 
diagrams, rules of games, even if they ar e expressed, described, disclosed, commented in 
works.    IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 4  
 
Article 5. Making Public and Publication of a Work  
 (1) A work shall be considered to be made public by its first author ized public recitation, 
public performance, public display, publicati on, and broadcasting or by other means of 
making available to the public.  (2) A work shall be considered to be published if copies of a work, produced with the consent 
of the author in any mode, incl uded by electronic systems, have  been put in circulation in 
sufficient quantity.  The performance of a dramatic, dramatico-musi cal, audiovisual or musical work, the public 
recitation of a literary work, the broadcasting of  literary or artistic work s, the exhibition of a 
work of art and the construction of a work of  architecture shall not constitute publication. 
 Article 6. The Author  
 An author is a natural pe rson who creates the work.  
 Article 7. Co-authorship  
 (1) Copyright in a work created by the creative activity of two or  more persons belongs to the 
co-authors jointly regardless the structure of the work.  
A separate part of a jointly created work is c onsidered to have indepe ndent significance, if it 
can be used independently.  Each of the co-authors shall have the right to use the independent part of the work created by 
him at his discretion unless otherwise pr ovided by the contract between them.  
Copyright in a work, created by co-authorship, is recognized even  if one of the co-authors, 
according to this Law, enjoys copyright.  (2) The right to use the work as a whole belong s to co-authors jointl y. Relations between the 
coauthors shall be regulated by a contract between them. 
In case of the absence of such a contract, the copyri ght in the work shall belong to all the 
authors jointly, and the remuneration to be re ceived shall be distributed among them equally. 
None of the co-authors of the work created by co-authorship and cons tituting an inseparable 
whole shall have the right to unreasonably prohibit the other co-authors the use of the work. 
 Article 8. Presumption of Authorship  
 (1) A person whose name appears on the work or  whose name is mentioned at the moment of 
making the work public, or in whose name the wo rk is deposited in the relevant organization 
of collective administration of economic rights or  the notary or other organizations having the 
appropriate authorization by law shall be deemed to be the au thor, unless proved otherwise. 
This provision also applies in case the name is  a pseudonym and the pers onality of the author 
acting under pseudonym causes no doubt.   (2) In the case of publica tion the work anonymously or by pseudonym the publisher whose 
name or denomination appears on the work shall, until otherwise proved, be deemed to be the representative of the author and shall be entitled to protect the author's rights and ensure their 
execution.   IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 5 
 
 
This provision shall be valid until the author of such a work reveals his identity and declares 
his authorship.  Article 9. Origin of Copyright and Notification about It  
 Copyright in a work emanates by the fact of creation of a work. The work shall be considered 
created if it is expressed in an objectively  perceivable form and does not depend on the 
official acknowledgement of that right, regist ration of the work and observance of any other 
formalities. The holder of the exclusive economic rights (t he author or another person who possesses 
these rights in the order provided by this law)  may for notification of copyright, use the 
symbol of protection of copyright that shall be  placed on the original or on each copy of the 
work and consists of the following: a) the Latin letter "C" in a circle; b) the name or denomination of the ho lder of the exclusive economic rights; 
c) the year of the first publication of the work. 
 Article 10. Relation Between the Copyright and the Property Right to the Medium  
 (1) The copyright in a work shall exist irrespectiv e of the property right to the material object 
in which that work is expressed. (2) The alienation, by the author, of a material object in whic h the work is embodied, shall 
not presume alienation of copyright.  Article 11. Content of Copyright  
 Copyright is the exclusive moral non-economic and exclusive economic rights of the author 
to his work.   Article 12. Moral Non-Economic Rights of the Author  
 (1) Moral non-economic rights of the author shall provide his in tellectual and personal ties to 
the work.   (2) The author shall enjo y the following moral non-ec onomic rights to his work: 
a) the right to be recognized  as the author of the work (the right of authorship); 
b) the right to use the work by his name, pse udonym or anonymously or the right to authorize 
of such use (the right of the author's name); c) the right of prohibiting proba ble distortions, modifi cations or other trespasses to the work 
which may prejudice to his honor  or reputation (the right of  honor and reputation of the 
author); 
d) the right to make the work pub lic in any mode for the first time or to assign that right to a 
third person (the right  of making public); 
e) the right to withdraw the former decision to  make the work public (ri ght to withdrawal) if 
the work being made public does not comply with  his principles and th at event will have a 
negative effect on his authority provided that he adequately reimburses the damage (included 
the missed advantage) caused to the lawful user s. If the work has already been published the 
author shall publicly notify a bout its revocation. Furthermore the author has the right to 
withdraw from circulation, previous copies of the work, covering th e necessary expenses. IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 6  
 
The provisions of this paragraph shall not ap ply to computer works, audiovisual works, 
databases as well as employment works, unless otherwise provided by the contract between 
the author and the employer.   (3) The moral rights of the author are inaliena ble and nontransferable a nd are not subject to 
exhaustion with the exception of th e right to withdrawal, which runs  for the life of the author.  
 Article 13. Economic Rights of the Author  
 (1) Economic rights provide the economic inte rests of the author giving the author an 
exclusive right to authorize or  to prohibit the use of his work or copies thereof.  
The author has an exclusive right to use his work in any mode and form, as well as to 
authorize or prohibit third persons to use his work, particularly;  
a) reproduction of a work (right of reproduction); b) distribution of a work ( right of distribution); 
c) rental of the original or c opies of a work (rental right);  
d) lending of the original or co pies of a work (lending right); 
e) translation of a work  (right of tr anslation); 
f) arrangement, rearrangement, illustration, adap tation and other transformations of a work 
(right of transformation); g) communication of a work to the public  (right of communication to the public); 
h) public performance of a work (right of public performance); 
i) public display of a work (right of public display); j) broadcasting of a work (right of broadcasting) ; 
k) simultaneous broadcasting or further re-broad casting of a work (right of re-broadcasting); 
l) transmission of a work by cable or sim ilar means (right of cable transmission); 
m) use of a work in other forms and modes whic h do not contradict with the legislation of the 
Republic of Armenia .  (2) The author has the right to prohibit the importati on of copies of a work produced without 
his consent.  (3) The author has a right to remuneration for e ach type of use of his work, except in cases 
provided for by Articles 22-26 and 36 of this La w. The contract on waiving the remuneration 
shall be null and void.   (4) The amount of remuneration and the paymen t order shall be esta blished by a contract, 
signed between: a) the author and the user of the work; b) the collective administration orga nization and the users of the work; 
c) the holders of the exclusiv e economic rights and the users. 
 (5) The minimum amount of remuneration shall be established by the Government of the 
Republic of Armenia for the public performan ce, broadcasting, and reproduction through 
recordings, rental, and repr oduction of works of applied decorative art in industry.  
 (6) The right of rental or lending of an original  or copies of a work belongs to the author 
irrespective of the owners hip right in those copies. The men tioned right does not apply to the 
computer programs which are not the main object of  rental by themselves or are included in a  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 7 
 
 
device or product and which cannot in normal exploitation be repr oduced or copied.  
 (7) If the original or copies of a work lawfully  published are put into ci vil circulation by sale 
or other means of transfer of ownership, the fu rther distribution thereof shall not require an 
authorization from or remunera tion to the author except in ca ses provided for by Article 27 of 
this Law.  Article 14. Reproduction  
 For the purpose of this Law reproduction of a work shall mean the fixation in any tangible medium directly or indirectly, permanently or temporarily by any means and in any form, in whole or in part.  Article 15. Distribution  
 For the purpose of this Law distribution of a wo rk shall mean the putti ng into circulation the 
original or copies of a work by sale or other form of transfer of ownership as well as their 
importation.   Article 16. Rental  
 For the purpose of this Law rental of a work sh all mean providing the orig inal or copies of a 
work for a limited period of time for use for th e purpose of direct or  indirect economic or 
commercial advantage.  Article 17. Lending  
 For the purpose of this Law lending of a work sh all mean providing the original or copies of a 
work for a limited period of time for use th rough establishments acc essible to the public 
without direct or indirect econom ic or commercial advantage.  
 Article 18. Public Display  
 For the purpose of this Law public display of a wo rk shall mean the displa y of a work directly 
or by means of technical devices in places where persons outside the usual circle of a family 
can be present, irrespective of the place and time  of their being. 
 Article 19. Communication to the Public  
 (1) For the purpose of this Law communication of a work to the public shall mean making a 
work available to the public in an intangible form, live or  from a recording, by wire or 
wireless means.  (2) The communication of a work to the public is also making it availa ble to the public in 
such a way that members of the public may access to the work from the place and time individually chosen by them particularly by means of computer or similar networks.  
  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 8  
 
Article 20. Public Performance  
 For the purpose of this Law public performance of a work shall mean the presentation of a 
work in an intangible form by recitation, game, song, dance or other means, by live performance as well as by means of technical devices in places wher e persons outside the 
usual circle of a family can be  present, irrespective of their being in the same place at the 
same time or in different places at different times.  Article 21. Broadcasting and Re-broadcasting  
 (1) For the purpose of this Law broadcasting shall mean transmission of images and (or) 
sounds or signals thereof through electrom agnetic waives by wire (including cable 
communication) or by wireless means (including broadcasting by radio, television or satellite 
communications) to make the images and sounds available to the public. The transmission of 
encrypted signals is also consid ered broadcasting if their decr ypting means are supplied to the 
public by the broadcasting organi zation or with its consent. 
 (2) Re-broadcasting shall mean simultaneous broa dcast or further broadcast of an already 
broadcast and recorded program by another broadcasting organization.  
 (3) For the purpose of paragra ph (1) of this Article communica tion to the public by satellite 
shall mean when under the control and respons ibility of broadcasti ng organization program-
carrying signals intended for the public are sent  in an uninterrupted chain of communication 
to a satellite and down to the Earth.  
 Article 22. Free Use of a Work  
 (1) Free use of a work shall mean the use of a work without the consent of the author and 
without remuneration, however with the obligat ory mention of the author's name and the 
origin of the work, which does not prejudi ce the normal exploitation of the work and 
legitimate interests of the author to his work.  (2) The following free uses shall be permitted: a) the quotation, in original language or in tran slation, of an extract of the work lawfully 
made public for scientific, research, polemic, cr itical and informational purposes, including 
the reproduction of the extracts fr om the articles of newspapers and magazines in the form of 
a press release, to the extent ju stified by the purpo se of quotations; 
b) the use of works of literature and art lawfully made public and extracts thereof by 
illustration in the publications of educational na ture, programs of broadcasting organizations, 
audio and video recordings to the extent jus tified by the purpose of illustration of education, 
and in the case of databases – for the illustrati on of education and to the extent justifying the 
non-commercial purpose;  c) the reproduction by the press and broadcasting of lawfully pub lished in the press articles 
on current economic, political, social and religi ous issues or of broadcasted works of the 
same nature, if such a use had not been  prohibited by the author beforehand;  
d) the reproduction of political speeches, le ctures, announcements and other similar works 
delivered in public, in the press and the broadc asting thereof , to the extent justified by the 
purpose of information;  e) the reproduction and public co mmunication of the literary and artistic works seen or heard  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 9 
 
 
in the course of the events for the purpose of reporting on current events by means of 
photography, cinematography, broadcasting, to the extent justifie d by the purpose of 
information;  f) the use of a work, except computer program s, for the purposes of court and administrative 
proceedings, to the extent justified by the purpose. In such cases the mentioning of the 
author’s name and the source of  the work is not obligatory; 
g) public performance of a musical  work lawfully made public: 
(i) during official, religious as well as ritual ceremonies, to the extent justified by the nature 
of the ceremony, (ii) at educational institutions in  the course of educational activ ities with the participation of 
teachers and students, if the audience is co mposed of teachers and students, as well as 
persons directly connected with  the educational institution (p arents, guardians, trustees, 
tutors). In these cases, the mention of the auth or's name and the source of the work is not 
obligatory; h) the reproduction in Braille, or by other special ways foreseen for the blind, of a work 
lawfully made public, done without profit-ma king, with the exception of reproduction of the 
works created especially by such means; i) the reproduction and distribution of works, displayed at exhibitions , auctions, fairs and 
collections, in catalogues published for that pur pose by the organizers of such displays 
mentioning the title of each work  and the author’s name if the latter are indicated on the work 
used; j) transformation of a work made public  (i) if it is a private or other internal transfor mation and is not intended for or not available to 
the public; (ii) if the work is transformed into a parody or caricature, provided this does not create 
confusion as to the source of the work.  (3) It shall be permitted, without the author’s  consent and without remuneration, to make 
short-time or rare temporary reproductions of a work, which have no individual economic 
significance, and is an inseparable and significan t part of technological procedures and which 
have the following purpose: i) network distribution of a work thr ough a mediator among third parties; or 
ii) provision of a possibility for lawful use of a work.   Article 23.  Reproduction of a Work for Private Purposes  
 The reproduction of a work lawfully made publ ic shall be permitted without the consent of 
the author and without remuneration exclusivel y for private, non-commercial use, which does 
not prejudice the legitimate  interests of the author. 
This provision shall not apply to  the reproduction of constructions  and architectural works of 
similar structure, machine-readable databases or  their substantial part s, computer programs, 
as well as to the reproduction of whole books and graphic editions of musical works, unless 
otherwise provided by this Law.   Article 24. Reprographic Reproduction of a Work 
 (1) Reprographic reproduction sha ll mean a facsimile reproduction in one or more copies, in 
any dimension (enlarged or reduced ) and in any form, of the origin al or the reproduction of a  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 10  
 
written or other graphic work by means of phot ocopying or by other technical means, except 
those connected with the appli cation of printing type-forms.  
 (2) Reprographic reproduction shall not incl ude the storage of the mentioned copy in 
electronic (including digital), opt ical or other machine-readable  form or reproduction thereof. 
 (3) Without the consent of the author and without remuneration but with the obligatory 
mention of the author's name and the source of the work, and without profit making the following shall be permitted: a) the reprographic reproduction of a lawfully published work by the libraries and archives, 
educational and cultural instituti ons for the purpose of restori ng or substituting the lost or 
damaged copies (in one copy), as well as, in case of the loss of a copy of the work at the other 
libraries, for placing the copy at th eir disposal if in ordinary conditions the obtaining of such 
a copy in other ways is impossible; b) the reprographic reproduction (in one copy)  of independent articles, succinct works 
lawfully published in collections , newspapers and other periodi cal publications, and of short 
extracts from lawfully published written works by the libraries and archives (on the demand 
of the natural persons) for the study and rese arch purposes, as well as by the educational 
institutions for the classroom st udies, except computer programs; 
c) the reprographic reproduction (in one copy) of the whole book if such work is out of print 
not less than 2 years; d) the reproduction (in one copy) of a gr aphic edition of musical work by means of 
handwritten transcription.  Article 25. Use of Works Located in Open for Attendance Places  
 Without the consent of the author and wit hout remuneration it shall be permitted to 
reproduce, broadcast for non-commercial purpos es works of architect ure, photography or 
figurative arts located in open for attendance places. 
 Article 26. Making and Free Use of Short-Time Audio and Video Recordings by 
Broadcasting Organization 
 
(1) Without the consent of the author and without additional remuneration a broadcasting 
organization has the right to make short- time audio or video recordings of the work, in 
respect of which it has obtained the broadcas ting right, if the audio or video recording is 
made by that broadcasting organization through its own technical equipment and for its own 
programs.  (2) The broadcasting organizati on shall be liable to destroy the audio or video recording 
within 6 months after it has been created unle ss the further use of the short-time audio or 
video recording has been agreed with the author of the work. 
 (3) Without the consent of the au thor of the audio or video reco rding of a work short-time use 
of may be preserved in official archives if  it is of an exclusiv ely documentary nature. 
   IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 11 
 
 
Article 27. Copyright in a Work of Fine Art  
 (1) The author of a work of fine art has a righ t to demand from the owner of the original or 
the copy of the work to provide him an opportun ity to reproduce and reprocess his work if it 
does not prejudice the legitimate interests of the owner. However, the owner of the work is 
not obliged to deliver the work to the place of  the author. By providing such an opportunity 
the owner may require the author to provide secu rity in the amount of th e market value of the 
original or the copy of the work or other assurance. 
The author shall bear the necessary expenses for enjoying the mentione d right, as well as be 
liable for any damage to the original or copy of the work.  (2) The transfer of the right of  ownership to the work of fine  art by the author to a third 
person (compensated or not compensated) is c onsidered the first alienation of the right of 
ownership to the work.  (3) The author of the work of fine  art has a right to be notified of  the resale of the original of 
the alienated work of fine art by the owner, auctions, galleries,  art salons, stores or other 
agent, and shall enjoy the inalienable right to obtain from the vendor five  percent of the price 
of each subsequent resale (resale right). The owner transferring the ownership in the origin al of fine art is liab le to pay remuneration 
to the author. If the transfer of ownership is effected through the mentioned organizations or 
any other agent, these natural or legal persons are jointly liable with the person transferring 
the ownership.  The application of the resale ri ght shall be executed in case the selling price is equal to or 
more than 250.000.  (4) For the purpose of this Law the original of a work shall mean works of graphic or plastic 
art, such as pictures, drawings , paintings, collages, engravings, tapestries, sculpt ure, works of 
lithographic, ceramic, photographic, jewellery art provided they ar e made by the author or are 
considered to be original works.  For the purposes of this Law copies of works of art, which have been made in limited 
numbers by the author himself or with his consent,  shall be considered to  be original works of 
fine art. Such copies will normally be numb ered, signed or otherwise duly authorized by the 
author.  (5) The collection of remunera tion mentioned in paragraph (3 ) of this Article and its 
distribution to the author or  his successor is executed by the organization for collective 
administration of authors’ economic rights.  (6) The owner of the original of fine art, the auction gallery or the other agent shall, within 30 
days after the sale, provide information on the sold originals, the se lling price and the vendor 
to the organization for collective admini stration of authors’ economic rights.  
 (7) The resale right may be tran sferred inherently a nd shall terminate with the expiration of 
the economic rights in the work.  (8) Citizens of foreign countries shall enjoy th e right mentioned in paragraph (3) of this 
Article with the principle of reciprocity.  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 12  
 
Article 28. Distinctions of Rights in Architectural Works 
 (1) The owner of a building or a construction which constitutes or includes subject matter of copyright may make alterations to the building or  construction, reconstruct or destroy it in the 
order established by the law without the consen t of the author, unless otherwise provided by 
the contract (documentation) on attainment of the building or construction (except the 
constructions presenting the architectonic value and buildin gs, statues, ornaments, 
decorations, frescos preserved by the State or Local Self- Governance Bodies).  
 (2) The authors of a works of architecture, ur ban planning, landscaping ha ve a priority right 
to participate in their practic al realization, as well as in making alterations provided for by 
paragraph (1) of this Article unless othe rwise provided by the author’s contract. 
 Article 29. Copyright in a Collection Work  
 (1) The compiler of a compiled or other compos ite work or the author of databases shall 
enjoy the copyright in the se lection and arrangem ent of the contents of those works 
considered as results of his creativity.  (2) The compiler shall enjoy copyright provided he has caused no prejudice to the rights of 
the authors of the works included in the collection work   (3) The authors of the works, which are included in a collection work, shall be entitled to use 
their works independently.  (4) Copyright of a compiler cannot prevent othe r persons the implementation of the selection 
and arrangement of the same works in their co llections, if the requirements of paragraph (2) 
of this Article are met.  Article 30. Copyright in Translation and Other Derivative Works  
 (1) Translations and other deri vative works are independent wo rks and shall enjoy protection 
equal to the originals.  (2) Copyright in translations, arrangements, adaptations and other transformations shall 
belong to the translators or the authors of other derivative works,  irrespective of whether or 
not the works translated or arra nged are protected under copyright. 
 (3) The translator or the aut hor of other derivative work shall enjoy copyright without 
prejudice to the rights of the author of the translated or otherwise transformed work.  
 
(4) Copyright of a translator or the author of other derivative work cannot prevent other 
persons to translate or otherw ise transform the same work if  the requirements of paragraph 
(3) of this Article are met.   Article 31. Copyright in a Collective work  
 (1) Collective work shall mean a work, crea ted by two or more natural persons on the 
initiative and responsibility of any person (hereinafter “the organizer”).  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 13 
 
 
(2) The persons, organizing the creation of a collective work, who publish encyclopedias, 
encyclopedic dictionaries, periodic and con tinuous collections of scientific works, 
newspapers, magazines and othe r periodicals, shall have an exclusive right to use the 
collective work as a whole. Those persons are entitled to mention their names (denomination 
of the periodical) or  require such a mention whenever the collective work is used. 
 (3) The authors of the works included in a collective work, shall retain their exclusive rights to use their works in other forms and modes, unless otherwise stipulated by the contract.  
 (4) The organizer is not an author of the work. 
 Article 32. Copyright in an Interview  
 (1) The copyright in an interview belongs to bo th, the interviewee and in terviewer, as to co-
authors, unless agreed otherwise.   (2) The making public of an interview shall be permitted only with the consent of the 
interviewee and the interviewer.  Article 33. Copyright in an Employment Work  
 (1) Economic rights in a work created on em ployment assignments or employment duties 
shall belong to the employer unless otherwise s tipulated by the contract  between the author 
and the employer.  (2) The contract concluded between the aut hor and the employer may provide equitable 
remuneration for the author for the use of each type of the employment work as well as the 
calculation and payment orde r and contain other terms for the use of the work. 
 (3) The provisions of this Artic le shall not apply to encyclope dias, encyclopedic dictionaries, 
scientific works, periodic and continuous co llections, newspapers, magazines and other 
periodical publications creat ed by the order of employment  assignments or employment 
duties.  Article 34. Copyright in Audiovisual Works  
 (1) An audiovisual work is a fixed series of interrelated images, with or without sound 
accompaniment, which is a unique outcome of  a creative activity a nd which by means of 
appropriate technical device can be vi ewed and heard if accompanied by sound.  
 
(2) The principal director, the au thor of screenplay, the author  of music specifically created 
for the audiovisual work, the author of dialogue, the cameraman shall be deemed the authors of the integrated audiovisual work  (3) The economic rights of the authors, among them the exclusive right of subtitling and 
doubling of the work, shall be transferred to the producer of  the first fixation of the 
audiovisual work by the contract  on the creation of the audiovis ual work concluded with the 
producer.  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 14  
 
The relations between the producer of the first fi xation of audiovisual work and the authors as 
well as the issue of obligatory remuneration to the authors shall be re gulated by contract. In 
the absence of the contract the authors retain the right to r eceive an equitable remuneration 
for any type of use, the contract on waiv ing the remuneration shall be null and void.  
 (4) The producer of the first fixation of an audi ovisual work shall be deemed the author if he 
is at the same time one of the authors st ated in paragraph (2 ) of this Article. 
 (5) Each of the authors of the works included as component parts in the audiovisual work, 
both previously existing (a novel serving as a basi s for the scenario, etc. ), and created in the 
course of work (by the artisti c director, costume designer and other persons) shall enjoy the 
copyright in his work.  Authors of such works, who have agreed to in clude their works in an audiovisual work, have 
no right to prevent or otherwise lim it the use of the audiovisual work.  
 (6) In case of the rental of the master or c opies of an audiovisual work, the authors of the 
work shall retain their right s t o receive remuneration. Th e collection, distribution and 
payment of the remuneration is carried out by the organization for collective administration 
of economic rights.  (7) The producer of the first fixation of an a udiovisual work is entitled to mention his name 
or nomination or demand such a mention whenever the work is used.  (8) The master of the copy of an audiovisual work cannot be destroyed without the consent of 
the authors and the holder of the economic rights (right holder). 
 Article 35. Computer Programs and Copyright in Computer Programs  
 (1) Computer programs, within the meaning of this Law, shall mean programs expressed in 
any form, including preparatory desi gn materials for their creation.  
Computer program shall be protected if it is original and is a result of the author’s own 
creative intellectual work.  (2) Unless otherwise provided for in Article 36 of  this Law the author of a computer program 
shall have the exclusive right to do or authorize the following acts: 
a) to make permanent or temporary reproducti ons of the computer pr ogram by any means and 
in any form in part or in whole. In so fa r as loading, displaying, running, transmission or 
storage of the computer program necessitate its  reproduction the author’s permission shall be 
necessary for such acts; b) to make translations, adapta tions, arrangements and any othe r alterations of the computer 
program and the reproduction of the results ther eof without prejudice to the rights of the 
person who alters the progr am with his consent; 
c) to distribute the original or copies thereof in any form  including its rental and lending. 
 Article 36. Free Reproduction of Computer Pr ograms Decompilation of Computer 
Programs  
 
(1) The person lawfully possessi ng a copy of a computer progra m (hereinafter, the user), 
without the consent of the author and wit hout additional remuneration, has a right to  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 15 
 
 
reproduce or to alter it in a singl e copy, if such copy or alteration is necessary: a) for the use 
of the computer program in conj unction with the technical means of the user, exclusively for 
the purpose and to the extent for which th e program has been intended, including for 
correction of the obvious e rrors present therein; 
b) for the replacement of the lawfully acquired co mputer program or a copy of it, in case of 
the latter having been lost, de stroyed or rendered useless . 
 (2) The user of the computer program has a ri ght, without the consen t of the author and 
without additional remuneration, to observe, stud y or test the functioning of the program in 
order to determine the ideas and principles wh ich underlie any element of the program if he 
does so while performing any of the acts of  loading, displaying, running, transmitting or 
storing in a memory the program  which he is entitled to do. 
 3) The user of the computer program has a ri ght, without the consen t of the author and 
without additional remuneration, to reproduce and convert the object code of the program to 
the source code (to decompile  the computer program) or commission other persons to 
perform those acts if they are indispensable to  obtain the information necessary to achieve 
interoperability of an independently created computer program with other programs, if the 
following conditions are met: a) the information necessary to achieve inte roperability has not previously been readily 
available from the other sources to the lawful user or the pers ons acting on his instructions;  
b) these acts are confined to the parts of  the program under the decompilation, which are 
necessary to achieve interoperability. The inform ation obtained as a result of the mentioned 
decompilation may be used only for the purpos es to achieve interoperability of an 
independently created computer program and sha ll not be transferred to  other persons, with 
the exception of the cases, when it is necessary for the interoperability  of an independently 
created computer program, or used for the development, production or marketing of a 
computer program similar in its expression to  the program under the decompilation or for 
performing any other act infringing the copyright.  Article 37. Term of Protection of  Economic Rights  
 (1) The author’s economic rights shall run for the whole life of  the author and for 70 years 
after his death.  (2) The economic rights in a work created by co -authorship shall run for the life of the co-
authors and for 70 years after the de ath of the last surviving author. 
 (3) In case of anonymous or pseudonymous wo rks the economic rights of the author emanate 
from the date the work is lawfully made availa ble to the public and sha ll run for 70 years. If, 
during the mentioned period, the identity of the author of the work made public anonymously 
or under a pseudonym is disclosed, the terms menti oned in paragraph (1) of this Article shall 
apply.  (4) The term of protection of the economic rights in the collective works shall be calculated 
according to the procedure referred to in paragraph (3) of this Article.  (5) Where a work is published in parts (in vol umes, installments, issu es, series, episodes, 
etc.), and the term of protection of economic rights runs from the time when the work was IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 16  
 
lawfully made available to the public, the te rm of protection of economic rights shall be 
calculated for each such item separately.  (6) The term of protection of a udiovisual works shall expire 70 years after the death of the 
last of the following persons to survive: the principal director, the author of the screenplay, 
the author of the dialogue, the composer of music specifically created for the audiovisual 
works and the cameraman.   (7) Upon expiration of the term of protection of economic rights,  the work shall fall into the 
public domain. Any person can freely use the work s in public domain without the author’s 
remuneration, however, protecting th e right of authorship, the right  of name and the right of 
honor and reputation of the author.  (8) The terms of protection laid down in this Ar ticle shall be calculated from the first day of 
January of the year following the year  in which the event has occurred. 
 Article 38. I nheritance of Economic Rights and Transfer  
 (1) Copyright is subject to succession.  (2) The right of authorship, the right of name , the right of honor and reputation, and the right 
of withdrawal shall not be transferable by succession.  
 (3) The author's heirs are entitled to protect th e right of authorship, the right of name, the 
right of honor and reputati on, without term limitation.  
In case of absence of heirs the protection of the mentioned rights  shall be carried out by the 
Authorized Body of the Government  of the Republic of Armenia.  
 (4) Economic rights of the author may be transferred to a third person by a contract 
concluded between the latter and the author, hi s heirs and subsequent successors in title. 
 (5) Economic rights may be transferred to anothe r person in the result of  reorganization of the 
right holder legal entity.  Article 39.  License for the Use of Work Author’s Contract 
 (1) Third persons may use the work only with the consent of the hol der of economic rights 
(the author of a work or a third person who has obtained these rights in  the order established 
by Law, hereinafter right holder) on the basis of author’s cont ract, unless otherwise provided 
by Law. 
 
(2) Author’s contract, which regulates the re lations between the righ t holder and the person 
who has obtained license to use the work (her einafter licensee), shall be compensative and 
may be exclusive or non-exclusive.  (3) By the author’s non-exclusive contract the right holder grants the licensee a right to use 
the work in certain term and within the lim its mentioned in the c ontract, retaining the 
exclusive rights in the work, amon g them the right to authorize third persons to use the work. 
  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 17 
 
 
(4) By the author’s exclusive co ntract the right holder transfer s the licensee an exclusive right 
to use the work in certain term and within th e limits provided by the contract, retaining the 
right in the work for the part specified by the co ntract. In this case the right to prevent the use 
of the work by third persons may be exercised by the right holder, if  the licensee does not do 
so.  (5) The rights transferred by the author’s contra ct are considered to be non-exclusive unless 
otherwise provided by the contract.  (6) Conditions of the contract, limiting the author's  rights of creating a work in future shall be 
null and void.  (7) The rights to use an unknown work at the mo ment of concluding the contract may not be 
a subject matter of an  author’s contract. 
 Article 40. The Conditions and Forms of an Author's Contract  
 (1) The author’s contract shall establish the ex tent of the transferre d rights, the modes of 
using the work, the term of transferring the ri ght to use and the amount  of remuneration, the 
order to determine the amount of remuneration, the term and order of payment, as well as 
other conditions that the parties may consider to be essential. 
 (2) Remuneration in the author’s contract is de fined as a percent of pr ofit received from the 
relevant exploitation of the work, and in the ca se it is not possible due to the nature of the 
work, it is defined as a certain amount fixed in the contract or in any other way acceptable for 
the parties. The size of the fixed amount shall no t be less than the minimum rates for authors’ 
remuneration established by the government of the Republic of Armenia. While determining 
the remuneration as a fixed amount the maximu m quantity of publication copies shall be 
defined in the contract.  (3) In case of absence, in the author's contra ct, of the condition in respect of the territory 
within the boundaries of which the right of us e of the work is vali d, the validity of the 
contract shall be limited to the te rritory of the Republic of Armenia. 
 (4) All the other rights, which ar e not provided in the author's contract, shall be reserved in 
favor of the right holder.  (5) The author's contract is valid until the ex piry date mentioned in the contract but shall 
cease at the moment of expiry of the term of validity of eco nomic rights. If the term of 
validity is not mentioned in the license contr act then the defined validity period shall be 
considered 5 years. 
 (6) Each party of the contract may transfer th e rights, transferred under the author’s contract, 
to third persons, either entirely or in part, only in case it is dir ectly stipulated by the contract.  
 (7) Conditions of the author’s contract, which co ntradict with the provis ions of this Law or 
limit the author's rights of creati ng in future a work of certain type and in certain field, shall 
be null and void.  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 18  
 
(8) An author’s contract shall be concluded in a written form. 
 Article 41. The liability of the Parties in Case of Infringement the Author’s Contract  
 The party who failed to carry out the obligations assumed under the author’s contract shall be 
required to compensate the other party for the caused damage, (including the lost benefit).  
 
Chapter 3: Related Rights 
 
Article 42. Performance and Performers 
 (1) Performance shall mean the performance of an actor, singer , musician, dancer, conductor, 
choirmaster, or other person, who acts, sings, recites, presents or otherwise performs a 
literary or artistic work among them e xpressions of folklore and art.  
 (2) Performers are actors, singers, musicians, dancers, conductors, choirmasters or other 
persons who play a role, sing, recite, declaim, play or otherwise perform literary or artistic 
works, circus, puppet, variety and other simila r shows including expressions of folklore and 
art.  Article 43. Rights of the Performer  
 The performer has exclusive moral non-economic  and exclusive economic rights to his 
performance.  Article 44. Moral Non Economic Rights of the Performer  
 (1) The performer has the following moral non-economic rights to his performance: 
a) the right to be recogn ized as the performer; 
b) the right to protect the performance from a ny distortion or from any trespass to protect the 
honor or dignity of the performer.  (2) The moral non-economic right s of the performer are inalie nable and nontransferable and 
are not subject to exhaustion.   Article 45. Economic Rights of the Performer  
 (1) The performer has the right to use his performance in any form and mode and to receive 
remuneration for any type of use of the perf ormance except the cases provided by this Law. 
 
(2) The performer has an exclusive right to au thorize or prohibit thir d persons the following 
acts:  a) the broadcast of a live performance or the carrying out of other communication of it to the 
public, if the fixation of the performance made before is not used for such a communication 
or the used performance has not been broadcast before;  b) the fixation of a performance not fixed before;  c) the reproduction of a fixed perf ormance directly or indirectly; 
d) the distribution of the phonograms and vide o grams containing his performance through 
sale or other form of transfer of ownership, among them the import;  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 19 
 
 
e) the broadcast of a fixed performance if the fixation of it was initially made for non-
commercial purposes; f) the rental of the copies of a fixed performance, g) the lending of the copies of a fixed performance; h) the making of the fixed perf ormance available to the public. 
 (3) The performer has the right to prohibit the import of copies  of the fixed performances 
made without his permission.  (4) Where the copies of fixed performances have  been put into public circulation through sale 
or other form of transfer of ownership, the fu rther distribution including import thereof shall 
be realized without the consent of the performer and without remuneration. 
 (5) The right to distribute by re nt the copies of fixed perfor mances published for commercial 
purposes shall belong to the pe rformer irrespective of the ow nership in these copies. The 
performer shall retain the right to receive an eq uitable remuneration for re ntal of such copies, 
the contract on waiving of which is null and void. This right may be  executed through the 
collective administration society.  (6) Permissions specified by paragraph (2) of th is Article, shall be granted by the performer 
and, in case of a group of perf ormers, by their authorized re presentative through concluding a 
written contract with the user. The contract concluded for the group of performers may not 
refer to the soloists and conductors.  (7) The conclusion of an individual or coll ective contract for the purpose of creating an 
audiovisual work, between the performer and the producer of a fixation of an audiovisual 
work results in transferring by the performer th e rights specified in paragraph (2) of this 
Article to the producer, unless otherwise provided by the contra ct. However, the performer 
retains his right of rental of th e copies of such an audiovisual work and the right to receive an 
equitable remuneration for other types of  use referred to in paragraph (2). 
Provision of such rights by the performer shall be limited by the use of the audiovisual work 
itself, and unless otherwise stipulated by the contract, provision of such rights shall not 
include the right to use separa tely the sounds or the images fixed in the audiovisual work. 
 (8) The economic rights in the performances ca rried out by the performer in execution of his 
employment assignments or duties shall belong to the employer unless otherwise provided by 
the contract.   (9) The performer may transfer his economic right s to a third person wholly or in part by a 
contract.  
The performer may also authorize third pers ons to use his performance by contract. The 
contract shall include the form and term of use of the perfor mance, the amount of 
remuneration and the payment orde r, the term of validity of the contract, the area, etc. 
The economic rights of the performer may be i nherently transferred to another person by the 
order of comprehensive succession or by the right of re-organization of a legal entity, which 
is the right holder.   IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 20  
 
Article 46.  Phonogram and Phonogram Producers  
 (1) Phonogram shall mean an excl usively aural fixation of sounds  of a performance or other 
sounds, or the fixation of representations thereof in  digital or any other form, other than in the 
form of a fixation incorporat ed in audiovisual works. 
 (2) Producer of a phonogram is a natural or  legal person who, on his initiative and 
responsibility, has made the firs t fixation of the sounds of a pe rformance or other sounds, or 
the representations of sounds.  Article 47. Rights of The Producer of Phonogram  
 (1) The producer of a phonogram has a right to use his phonogram in any from and to receive 
remuneration for any form of use of the phonogram  except in the cases provided by this Law. 
 (2) The producer of a phonogram has an exclusiv e right to authorize or  prohibit third persons 
the following acts:  a) the direct or indirect  reproduction of the phonogram; 
b) the distribution of the or iginal or copies of the phonogram among them the import; 
c) the rental of the origin al or copies of the phonogram; 
d) the lending of the original or copies of the phonogram;  e) the broadcast of the phonogram; f) the making available to the public of the phonogram.  (3) The producer of a phonogram has the right to prohibit the import of copies of phonograms 
made without his consent.  (4) Where the copies of a lawfully produced phonogram have been put into public circulation 
through sale or other form of transfer of ow nership, the further distribution including import 
thereof shall be realized w ithout the consent of the produc er of the phonogram and without 
remuneration.   (5) The right to rent the copies of phonogram s published for commercial purposes shall 
belong to the producer of the phonogram irrespec tive of the ownership in these copies. The 
producer of the phonogram shall re tain the right to receive an  equitable remuneration for 
rental of such copies, the contract on waiving of which is null and void.  
 (6) The producer of a phonogram may transfer his economic rights to a third person wholly or 
in part by a contract.   
(7) The producer of a phonogram  may also authorize third persons to use his phonogram by 
contract. The contract shall include the form and term of  use of the phonogram, the amount of 
remuneration and the payment orde r, the term of validity of the contract, the area, etc. 
 (8) The economic rights of the producer of a pho nogram may be inherently transferred to a 
third person by the order of comprehensive succ ession or by the right of  reorganization of a 
legal entity, which is the right holder.     IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 21 
 
 
Article 48. The Producer of First Fixations of Film  
 (1) For the purposes of this Law the term “fil m” shall mean an audiovisual work or moving 
images whether or not accompanied by sound.   (2) Moving images shall mean a fixed series of interrelated images (whether or not 
accompanied by sound), which is perceivable by sight and if accompanied by sound, perceivable also by hearing. Moving images are not outcome of creative activity and are not 
copyrightable.   (3) The producer of first fixati on of a film is the natural or legal person who, on his initiative 
and responsibility has made the first fixation of the film.  Article 49. Rights of Producer of the First Fixation of a Film  
 (1) The producer of the first fixa tion of the film has a right to use his fixation in any from and 
to receive remuneration for any fo rm of use of the film except in the cases provided by this 
Law.   (2) The producer of the first fixation of a film has an exclusive right to  authorize or prohibit 
third persons the following acts:  a) the direct or indirect reproduction of the original or  copies of the fixation; 
b) the distribution of the or iginal or copies of the fixation among them the import; 
c) the rental of the original  or copies of the fixation; 
d) the lending of the original  or copies of the fixation; 
e) the broadcast of the fixation;  f) the making available to the public of the fixation. 
 (3) The producer of the first fixation of a film has the right to prohibit the import of copies of 
fixations made without his consent.  (4) Where lawfully produced copies of fixation of  a film have been put into public circulation 
through sale or other form of transfer of ow nership, the further distribution including import 
thereof shall be realized without the consent of a film producer and without remuneration.  
 (5) The right to rent the copies of a film publis hed for commercial purposes shall belong to 
the producer of the first fixation of the film i rrespective of the ownership in these copies. The 
producer of the first fixation of a film shall retain the right to receive an equitable 
remuneration for rental of such copies, the co ntract on waiving of which shall be null and 
void.  
 
(6) The producer of the first fixation of a fi lm may transfer his economic rights to a third 
person wholly or in part by a contract.  The producer of the first fixation of a film may al so grant third persons a right to use his film 
by contract. The contract shall in clude the form and term of use of the film, the amount of 
remuneration and the payment orde r, the term of validity of the contract, the area, etc. 
  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 22  
 
(7) The economic rights of a producer of the fi rst fixation of a film may be inherently 
transferred to a third person by the order of  comprehensive succession or by the right of 
reorganization of a legal entit y, which is the right holder.  
 Article 50. Broadcasting Organization and Its Program  
 (1) Broadcasting organization shall mean a natu ral or legal person who, on his initiative and 
responsibility broadcas ts or prepares and broadcasts programs. 
 (2) Program of a broadcasting organization shal l mean a body of live performance or fixed 
material containing images and/or sounds, or  other information, meant for dissemination, 
which has been prepared by an air or a cable  broadcasting organizati on, or another person on 
its commission and with its funds.   Article 51. Rights of Broadcasting Organization  
 (1) The broadcasting organization has a right to use his program in any form and to receive 
remuneration for any form of us e of a program except in the cases provided by this Law. 
 (2) The broadcasting organization has an exclusiv e right to authorize or  prohibit third persons 
the following acts:  a) the fixation of the program; b) the direct or i ndirect reproduction of the fixed program; 
c) the distribution of copies of the fixed program among them import; d) the rebroadcast of the program;  e) the communication of the progr am in places accessible to th e public against payment of an 
entrance fee; f) the making available to the public of the program.  (3) The broadcasting organization has also the right to prohibit the import of copies of 
prepared programs made without his consent.  (4) The broadcasting organization may transfer it s economic rights to a third person wholly or 
in part by a contract.  The broadcasting organization may also grant th ird persons a right to use his program by 
contract. The contract shall include the form a nd term of use of the program, the amount of 
remuneration and the payment orde r, the term of validity of th e contract, the area, etc.  
 (5) The economic rights of a broadcasting organi zation may be inherently transferred to a 
third person by the order of comprehensive succ ession or by the right of  reorganization of a 
legal entity, which is the right holder.  
 Article 52. Conditions of Origin of Related Rights and The Notification of These Rights 
 (1) An observance of any formality or registration for the arising and exercising of related rights is not required.    IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 23 
 
 
(2) Producers of phonograms for the no tification of their related ri ghts may put the symbol of 
protection of related rights on each copy of the fixation medium or on the containers, 
consisting of: a) the Latin letter “P ” in a circle (è); 
b) the name or firm name of  the holder of related rights; 
c) the year of the first publication of the phonogram.  
 Article 53. Limitations of Rights of Performers , Producers of Phonograms or Film 
Producers  and Broadcasting Organizations 
 
The use of a performance, a phonogram, a film or a program of a broadcasting organization 
shall be permitted without consent and without remuneration of the performer, the producer 
of phonograms, film producer or the broad casting organization, a pplying the provisions 
provided by Articles 22-26 of this Law to the performance, the phonogram, the film or the 
program of a broadcasting orga nization provided that such us e shall not conflict with the 
normal exploitation of the performance, the pho nogram, the film or the program, as well as 
works in the domain of science, literature and art included therein, and shall be without 
prejudice to the legitimate interests of holders of related rights and authors of the mentioned 
works.  Article 54. Use of Phonogram Published for Commercial Purposes  
 (1) If a phonogram published for commercial purposes or a reproduction of such a 
phonogram is used directly for broadcasting or  for any communication to the public, a single 
equitable remuneration shall be paid by the user to the performer and the producer of 
phonogram.   (2) Distribution of remuneration between the performer and the producer of phonogram shall 
be according to the contract between them and in case of absence of it, the due remuneration shall be shared equally between them.  (3) The collection of remunera tion provided for by paragraph (1 ) of this Article and the 
distribution of it between th e performers and producers of phonograms is exercised through 
the relevant organization of collectiv e administration of economic rights.  
 Article 55. Rights of Publishers  
 (1) The exclusive rights to the typographical arrangements of the editions shall belong to the 
publisher of that very arrangement.   
(2) The publisher has a right to authorize or prohibit third persons th e reproduction of the 
typographical arrangements of his editions.  (3) The publisher may transfer hi s economic rights to a third pe rson wholly or in part by a 
contract.   (4) The publisher may also grant third persons a right to use his t ypographical arrangement 
by contract. The contract shall include the term of use, the amount of remuneration and the 
payment order, the area, etc.  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 24  
 
 
(5) The economic rights to a typographical arrang ement may be inherently transferred to a 
third person by the order of comprehensive succ ession or by the right of  reorganization of a 
legal entity, which is the right holder.   Article 56. Protection of Previously Unpublished Works 
 Any person who, after the expiry of economic ri ghts, for the first time lawfully publishes or 
by other means makes available to the public a previously unpublishe d work, shall benefit 
from the rights equivalent to the economic rights of the author provided by this Law. 
 Article 57. Critical and Scientific Editions of Works in Public Domain 
 (1) Any person who prepares the cr itical or scientific edition of  a work, which has come into 
the public domain, which is essent ially different from known editi ons of that very work, shall 
benefit from a right equivalent to the economic  rights of the author provided by this Law. 
 (2) The provision of paragraph (1) of this Arti cle shall cover also the cases, when the edition 
of a work, which has come into the public dom ain, is not a subject matter of copyright.  
 Article 58.  Databases and Maker of Database  
 (1) For the purposes of this Law a database sh all mean a collection of works, data or other 
independent materials arranged in a systematic or methodical way the individual elements of 
which shall be separately accessible by elec tronic or other means and the acquisition, 
verification or presenta tion thereof shall require substantia l qualitative and (or) quantitative 
contribution.  (2) For the purposes of this Law the maker of a database shall be deemed any person by whose initiative and on whose own responsibility substantial qualitative  and (or) quantitative 
contribution is made for the acquisition, verifi cation or presentation of  the content of the 
database.   (3) Any substantial change, eval uated qualitatively or  quantitatively, to the content of the 
database, including any substantial change re sulting from the accumulation of successive 
editions, deletions or alterations, which would re sult in the database being considered to be a 
substantial new investment, evaluated qualita tively or quantitativel y, shall qualify a new 
database resulting from that investment.   Article 59.  Rights of the Maker of Database  
 
(1) The maker of a database shall have the right  to prohibit the extracti on and/or re-utilization 
of the whole contents or a subs tantial qualitative and/or quant itative part of the database.  
 (2) For the purpose of this Law: a. “extraction” shall mean the permanent or tempor ary transfer of all or a substantial part of 
the contents of a database to another medium by any means or in any form.  
  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 25 
 
 
b. “re-utilization” shall mean any form of making available to th e public all or substantial part 
of the contents of a database by the distribut ion of copies, by renti ng, by on-line or other 
forms of transmission.  Lending of the original or copies of a databa se through establishments, which are accessible 
to the public, is not an act of  extraction or re-utilization. 
The right provided for in paragraph one of this  Article may be applied irrespective of the 
eligibility of the contents of that database fo r protection by copyright or  by related rights and 
shall be without prejudice to the rights of the authors or holders of related rights in respect of 
the works contained in the database.  
 (3) The repeated and systematic extraction and/or  re-utilization of ins ubstantial parts of the 
contents of the database implying acts which conflict with a normal exploitation of that 
database or which unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the maker of the database shall not be permitted.   (4) The maker of database may transfer his econo mic rights to a third person wholly or in part 
by a contract.  The maker of database may also provide, by cont ract, third persons with  the right to use the 
database. The contract shall include the form a nd term of use of the database, the amount of 
remuneration and the paymen t order, the area, etc. 
 (5) The economic rights provided for by this Ar ticle in respect of the database may be 
inherently transferred to a nother person by the order of co mprehensive succession or as a 
result of reorganization of a lega l entity, which is the right holder. 
 Article 60. Rights and Obligations of Lawful Users of Database  
 (1) The maker of a database which is made av ailable to the public in whatever manner may 
not prevent a lawful user of the database fr om extracting and (or) re -utilizing insubstantial 
parts of its contents, eval uated qualitatively and (or) qua ntitatively, for any purposes, 
whatsoever. Where a lawful user is authorized to extract and (or) reuti lize only a part of the 
database, this provision shall apply only to that part.  (2) A lawful user of a database, which is made  available to the public in whatever manner, 
may not perform acts, which may conflict with  normal exploitation of the database or 
unreasonably prejudice the legitimate inte rests of the maker of the database. 
 (3) A lawful user of a database which is ma de available to the public in whatever manner 
may not cause prejudice to the ho lder of a copyright or related rights in respect of the works 
or subject matters contained in the database.  
 
(4) A lawful user of a database which is ma de available to the public in whatever manner 
may, without the authoriza tion of the maker of the database, extract or re-utilize a substantial 
part of its contents: a. in the case of extraction fo r private purposes of the contents of a non-electronic database; 
b. in the case of extraction for the purposes of illustration for teaching or scientific research, 
as long as the source is indicated and to exte nt justified by the non-co mmercial purpose to be 
achieved;  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 26  
 
c. in the case of extr action and (or) re-utilizat ion for the purposes of public security or an 
administrative or judicial procedure.  Article 61. Term of Protection of Related Rights  
 (1) The economic rights of performers emanate fr om the date of performance and shall run 50 
years. If the fixation of a performance was lawf ully published or lawfully made available to 
the public within this period, the rights of performer shall emanat e from the date of first such 
publication or from the first such making avai lable to the public,(whichever occurred earlier) 
and shall run 50 years.  (2) The economic rights of a producer of a phonogr am emanate from the date of fixation and 
shall run 50 years. If the phonogram  was lawfully published or lawf ully made available to the 
public within this period, the rights of a produ cer of a phonogram shall emanate from the date 
of first such publication or from the first su ch making available to the public, (whichever 
occurred earlier) and shall run 50 years.  (3) The economic rights of producer of the first fixation of the film emanate from the date of 
fixation and shall run 50 years. If  the film was lawfully publishe d or lawfully made available 
to the public within this  period, the rights of film producer sh all emanate from the date of first 
such publication or from the first such maki ng available to the public, (whichever occurred 
earlier) and shall run 50 years.  (4) The economic rights of a broadcasting organi zation in respect with the program emanate 
from the date of first broadcast and shall run 50 years.  (5) The right of publisher emanates from the date of publication a nd shall run 50 years. 
 (6) The rights of a database maker shall emanat e from the date of completion of the making 
of the database and shall run 15 years.  If, the database is made available to the publ ic in whatever manner before expiry of the 
mentioned period, the term of protection of economic rights of the maker of the database 
shall be calculated from the date of the first making available to the public. 
 (7) The rights in an unpublished works shall eman ate from the date of first lawful publication 
or from the date of first lawful making avai lable to the public by other means and shall run 
for 25 years.  (8) The rights in editions of cr itical and scientific publications shall emanate from the date of 
first lawful publication a nd shall run for 30 years. 
 
(9) The terms laid down in this Article are calcul ated from the first day of January of the year 
following the relevant mentioned event.   Article 62.  The Relationships of Rights of Au thor and Holders of Related Rights  
 (1) The performers shall exercise their rights w ithout prejudice to the righ ts of the author of 
the work.   IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 27 
 
 
(2) The producers of first fixations of film s, the producers of phonogram shall not prejudice 
the rights of authors and performers.   (3) The broadcasting organizations shall not pr ejudice the rights of authors, performers, 
producers of phonograms and film producers.  
Chapter 4: Administration of Rights 
 
Article 63. Organizations for Collective Admini stration of Economic Rights  
 (1) For the provision of administ ration of economic rights of hold ers of copyright and related 
rights, where the exercise of economic rights in personal order is practically difficult or 
impossible, non-commercial, non-profit organi zations for collective administration of 
economic rights (hereinafter referred to as  “organization”) sha ll be established.  
Such organizations shall be established direc tly by authors or rela ted rights holders and 
exercise the collective administration of economic rights within the frameworks of 
authorization granted to them by written contract. Those organizations, which represent a substa ntial part of right holders and have the 
necessary technical means and human resource s for the execution of their activities, are 
subject to registration.  Collective administration of rights with resp ect to the same category of works (public 
performance, record reproduction, resale right , broadcasting¸ cable transmission, private 
reproduction, rights of performers and produ cers of phonograms) may be entrusted to one 
collecting organization only.  The following are subject to collective administration:  a) right of public performance; b) right of communicat ion to the public; 
c) right of audio-video reproduction;  d) right to broadcast and rebroadcast; e) right of cable transmission and retransmission.  (2) In case of presence of an organization fo r collective administration of economic rights for 
any type of use the rights provided for by this  Law shall be exercised by the organization.  
 (3) The right to remuneration is subject to co llective administration in the following cases: 
a) for the use of a phonogram produced for commercial purposes by broadcasting, re-
broadcasting, cable transmission or retransmission;  b) for the use of a performance fixed in a phonogram produced for commercial purposes by 
broadcasting, re-broadcasting, cable transmission or retransmission;  
c) for resale of a work of fine art;  
d) for renting the original or copies of a work or a copy of a recording or audio-video 
recoding of a performance;  e) for the use of a work, live performance or  a performance fixed in a phonogram (with the 
exception of those produced for commercial purpo ses), as well as audi ovisual fixations and 
phonograms by cable retransmission.  (4) The organization shall, with in the power assigned to it by the appropriate contracts of 
holders of copyright and related right, as well as similar foreign organizations, authorizes the  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 28  
 
user with a license contract, to use the work or subject matter of rela ted rights, as well as 
carry out calculation and collection of re munerations paid by using organizations.  
 (5) The relationship between the organization and the users concerning the copyright and 
related rights subject matters sha ll be regulated by license cont ract. The terms of use for all 
the users of similar categories shall be the same. The organiza tion shall not refuse to sign 
agreements with users without having reasonable grounds for that refusal.  
 (6) Organizers of public entertainments and othe r users of copyright a nd related rights subject 
matters shall not refuse to sign agreements w ith the organization without having reasonable 
grounds for that refusal. The users shall in adva nce acquire the authorization provided by this 
Law and shall submit the competent collecting so ciety the list of all works used, all the 
documents necessary for the accurate calculation a nd distribution of royalties within 15 days 
after the use.  (7) The broadcasting organizations shall submit to the appropriate collective administration 
organization the list of broadcast works every month.  Article 64. Functions of the Organization  
 (1) The Organization shall implement the following functions: a) sign license contract s with users on use of works and subject matters of related rights; 
b) agree with the users on the amount of re muneration and other terms of the contract; 
c) agree with the users on the amount of re muneration for those cases established by this 
Law, when the Organization carries out the co llection of remuneration without having signed 
license agreements (e.g. rental, the use of  phonogram for commercial purposes, etc.); 
d) collect the remuneration provided for by paragr aphs “b” and “c” of this  Article for use of a 
work or subject matters of related rights, dist ribute and pay the remunera tion to the holders of 
copyright or related rights presented by it; e) in case right holders wish so, deposit the work  of the author or the subject matter of related 
rights and issues the relevant document on deposit; f) sign reciprocal protection agreements  with similar foreign organizations; 
g) set aside commissions from the collected amount to cover the actual costs on collection, 
distribution and payment;  h) in the case of simultaneous use of prot ected and non-protected works, pass the amount 
calculated out from the whole for the use of th e non-protected works to the appropriate funds 
established by it, with the consent of the right  holders presented by it and for their benefits; 
i) use the amount in case the aut hor or the right holder of relate d rights is not found within the 
application prescription period es tablished by the legislation for the benefit of other holders 
of copyright or related rights and th e development of the organization; 
j) carry out other activities according to the authorization by the holders of copyright and 
related rights; k) implement any legal activity necessary for protection of rights exercised by it;  l) in case right holders wish so, submit informa tion on use of works or other subject matter of 
related rights.  (2) The Organization shall bear liability for non -execution or poor execution of its obligations 
in the order established by Law.   IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 29 
 
 
Chapter 5: Protection of Copyright and Related Rights 
 
Article 65. Actions Considered to be Infringement  of Copyright and Related Rights  
 (1) Any use of a work or its essential part or  other subject matter of related rights protected 
by this Law is illegal, if such use is not obt ained beforehand from the holder of copyright or 
related rights.  Substantial part of a work shall mean any part of a work, if any person familiar with the work can on his own identify as a part of that work.  (2) A person who does not implem ent the requirements of this La w shall be considered as an 
infringer of copyright or related rights.   (3) Copies of protected subject matters made or  distributed without th e consent of the right 
holder shall be considered false or counterfeited.  
The copy of a work, phonogram (or videogram), pr otected by this law in the Republic of 
Armenia, which is imported to the Republic of  Armenia, without the consent of the right 
holders of copyright and rela ted rights, from countries, where the work, phonogram (or 
videogram) has never been protected or has ceased  to be protected, shall also be considered 
counterfeited.  (4) Compilation of extracts, ideas from other works without creative adaptation and without 
mentioning of the source and appropriation of  it or submission of the whole work by his 
name shall be considered to be plagiarism.   (5) Persons infringing copyright and related right s shall bear liability provided in the order 
established by Law.   Article 66. Protection of Copyright and Related Rights  
 (1) The right holder of copyright or related rights may seek protect ion of his rights by 
applying to the court, according to the procedures defined by th e legislation of the Republic 
of Armenia.  (2) The right holder of copyright or related rights while seeking protection of his rights, in the 
order established by court, may claim from the infringer: a) recognition of his rights; b) recovery of the situation existing before  the infringement or prevention of actions 
containing apparent danger of an infringement; c) seizure or destruction of c ounterfeited copies, as well as th e materials and equipment used 
for their production; 
d) compensation of damage (including the lost  benefit) in the orde r established by law; 
e) compensation at the rate of double royalty or remuneration, which the right holder would 
receive if the infringer had th e authorization for the use of  copyright subject matter or 
compensation for damages equal to the damage  caused by actual infringement, including the 
missed benefit;  f) publication of a judgment in ex ercising mass media at the infri nger’s expense, to the extent 
and in such manner, as deemed appropriate by the court;   IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 30  
 
g) application of other remedies, for the protec tion of his rights, establ ished by the legislation 
of the Republic of Armenia.  (3) The right holder of copyright  or related rights enjoys th e right to choose the remedies 
mentioned in subparagraphs c), d) and e)  of paragraph (2) of this Article.  
 (4) The right holder of copyright or related rights may demand that persons, who are in any 
way connected with the infringement of rights protected by this Law (manufacturers, printers, 
importers, possessors of counterfeited copies or  means with which the right was infringed), 
provide information about third persons who ha ve participated in pr oduction and distribution 
of counterfeited copies, as well as about the sources of obtaining and distribution ways and 
submit documents in connection with the infringement, immediately upon demand.  The persons mentioned in this paragraph, w ho fail to give the required information or 
documents, are liable for damages that may be caused by their failure to comply.   (5) Counterfeited copies not dema nded by the right holder of copyright or related rights, as 
well as the materials and equipment used for their production and reproduction may be 
destroyed according to  the court decision. 
 Article 67. Protection of Technological Measures  
 (1) Any person who knowingly or having reas onable grounds to know circumvents any 
technological measure, designed for the protec tion of copyright and related rights, makes, 
imports, distributes, sells, rents ou t, advertises for rental or sale purposes, or possesses for 
commercial purposes devices, products or co mponents or provides service, which: 
a) are proposed, advertised or marketed for th e purpose of circumvention of an effective 
technological measures; b) have a significant purpose to circumvent any effective technologica l measures designed for 
the protection of copyright and related ri ghts in the result of  their use and (or) 
implementation; c) are primarily designed, produced, adapted or  performed for the pur pose of enabling or 
facilitating the circumvention of technological measures for the protection of copyright and 
related rights  shall bear liability equal to that established by Law for infringement of copyright and related 
rights.   (2) A technological measure for the protection of  copyright and related rights shall mean any 
device or their components that in the norma l course of their operation, are designed to 
prevent or restrict acts in resp ect of works or subject matters of related rights which are not 
authorized by holder of c opyright or related rights. 
 
(3) Technological measure shall be deemed effe ctive, where the use of a protected work or 
other subject matter is controlled by the right holders through application of an access control 
or protection process, such as encryption, scra mbling or other transformation of the work or 
other subject matter or a copy control mechanis m, which achieves the protection objective.  
 Article 68.  Protection of Rights Management Information 
 (1) Any person, who knowingly commits any of the following acts:  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 31 
 
 
a) removes or alters any electronic rights-ma nagement information on copyright and related 
rights without authorization; b) distributes, imports for di stribution, broadcasts, communicates  or makes available to the 
public of a copyright work or  subject matter of related rights, wher e electronic rights-
management information has been remove d or altered without authorization; 
c) knows, or has reasonable grounds to know, that by so doing he is inducing, enabling, 
facilitating or concealing an infringeme nt of any copyright or related rights 
shall bear liability equal to that established by Law for infringement of copyright and related 
rights.  (2) Rights-management information shall mean any information provided by right holders which identifies the work or subject matter of re lated rights, the author  or the related rights 
holder or information about the terms and conditi ons of use of the work or subject matter of 
related rights and relevant numbers and codes th at represent such information, when they are 
indicated on a copy of a work or subject matte r of related rights or when they appear in 
connection with their communica tion to the public of a work or subject matter of related 
rights.  Article 69. Remedies for Ensuring Claims on In fringement of Copyright and Related 
Rights  
 
(1) The court may, in the order established by the Civil Procedure Code  of the Republic of 
Armenia, take remedies for ensuring the cl aim based on the petition from the persons 
participating in the case, or at  its own discretion, to freeze all a lleged counterfeited copies of 
works, databases, phonograms or videograms, as well as the materials and device designed 
for making and reproduction thereof,  prohibit particular actions. 
 (2) The court is entitled to prohibit the entr y of counterfeited copi es, including imported 
copies after customs clearance into  the market, as well as to take remedies that the copies 
which have been recognized as counterfeited copies be taken out  of the market at the expense 
of the infringer without comp ensation and without prejudice to the right holder or be 
destroyed.   (3) In case of the infringement of copyright and relate d rights, for which criminal liability is 
provided, the court, with the purposes of ensuring the civil claim submitted or to be submitted in future, shall be entitled to seize all allege d counterfeited copies, as well as the materials 
and the devices intended for their creation and reproduction, and, if neces sary, to confiscate 
and destroy them.   
Chapter 6: Final Provisions 
 
Article 70.  Validity of the Law  
 (1) The provisions of this La w shall apply to the works of  authors and performances of 
performers who are citizens of  the Republic of Armenia irre spective of the place of the 
creation or making public of the work.  (2) The provisions of this La w shall apply to the works of  authors and performances of 
performers who are not citizens of the Republic of Armenia but their works or performances IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
Page 32  
 
were first made public in the Republic of Ar menia or if the author or performer has 
permanent residence in the Republic of Armenia. The work is also considered to be published for the first time in the Republic of Armenia if 
within 30 days of having been published in a nother country, is published in the Republic of 
Armenia.  (3) The provisions of this Law shall apply also to phonogram s the producers of which are 
citizens of the Republic of Armenia or have pe rmanent residence in the Republic of Armenia. 
The provisions of paragraph (2) of this Ar ticle shall apply to the phonograms of foreign 
producers of phonograms.   (4) The provisions of paragraph (3) shall respectively apply to films, TV and radio programs, 
publication of works not made public before, as well as databases.  
 Article 71. Rights of Foreigners  
 Citizens or residents of othe r countries shall enjoy the sa me rights and have the same 
liabilities, specified in this Law, as citizens and residents of the Republic of Armenia, in 
accordance with international agreements signe d by the Republic of Armenia or with the 
principle of reciprocity.  Article 72. Transitional Provisions  
 (1) The copyright and related righ ts, which have been valid before  the date of entry into force 
of this Law, shall continue their validity  in accordance with the provisions and terms 
established by this Law.   (2) The provisions of this Law shall apply also to the subject matters of copyright and related 
rights in the Republic of Arme nia, the term of validity of  economic rights of which has 
expired according to the previous Law but the term of validity in the order established by 
Law has not expired at the moment of enactment of this Law.  (3) The provisions of paragraph (1 ) and (2) of this Article shall apply to the subject matters of 
copyright and related rights, which have been created, prepared, made available to the public, 
performed, published or broadcaste d outside the Republic of Arme nia, provided that the term 
of validity thereof has not expired according to  the legislation of th e country of origin, 
(notwithstanding the former activities) and that country is a party to a ny international treaty 
in the copyright and related righ ts field to which the Republic of  Armenia is a party too, if 
similar protection is granted, according to an inte rnational treaty or th e legislation of that 
country, to the subject matters of copyright a nd related rights, which have been created, 
published, prepared, made available to the public , performed or broadcasted in the Republic 
of Armenia.  (4) According to paragraph (2) of  this Article, the copies of protected subject matters, which 
have been lawfully reproduced before the enac tment of this Law may be distributed freely for 
two more years after enactment of this Law.   (5) The provisions of this Law shall apply also to the databases, which have been made no 
later than 15 years before enactment of this Law.  IP/N/1/ARM/C/2 
 Page 33 
 
 
 
Article 73.  Entry Into Force of the Law  
 (1) This Law shall enter into force on the te nth day following its o fficial publication.  
 (2) The Republic of Armenia “Law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights”  
(December 8, 1999, AL-28) shall cease to be in force.   
THE PRESIDENT OF THE 
REPUBLIC OF ARMENIA 
Yerevan  
04 July 2006. AL-142  
  
__________