WORLD TRADE IP/N/6/GRC/1
3September 1996
ORGANIZATION(96-3450)
Original: English Council forTrade-Related Aspects
ofIntellectual Property Rights
CHECKLIST OFISSUES ONENFORCEMENT1
Responses from Greece
Copyright andRelated Rights
ThecopyrightlegislationinGreecehasbeenfullyadaptedtotheECandinternationalregulations
concerning copyright protection aswellascivilandcriminal procedures. Articles 59to66of
Law2121/1993 oncopyright andrelated rights contains specific provisions containing provisional
measures andremedies. Moreover general provisions oftheGreek Code ofCivil Procedure orthe
Greek Code ofCriminal Procedure areapplicable.
Civil andAdministrative Judicial Procedures andRemedies
Greek Law 2121/1993 isamong themost progressive inEurope ondamages. Under
Article 65par.2 ofLaw2121/1993, theauthor ortherightholder ofrelated rights areentitled torecover
damages inanamount notlessthantwice thelegally required ornormally payable remuneration for
theform ofexploitation which theinfringing party haseffected without licence. Instead ofseeking
damages therightholder mayclaim theprofit theinfringer made from theunauthorized use.
Inallcases ofinfringement therightholder isentitled todemand recognition ofhisright,
suppression oftheinfringement andomission oftheinfringement inthefuture. Foreachactoromission
contributing toaninfringement thecourt mayimpose afineranging fromthreehundred toonemillion
drachmas payable totherightholder andimprisonment ofuptooneyear.
Decisions arealways inwriting. According toGreek Copyright lawbothindividual copyright
owners orrightholders ofrelated rights andcollecting societies areallowed toinitiate civilandcriminal
cases.
GreekLaw2121/1993isfavourabletowardscopyrightownersinrelationtotheevidencerequired
toprove theirownership overthework. Article 10introduces apresumption providing thattheperson
whose name appears onthephysical carrier ofawork inthemanner usually usedtoindicate authorship
shallbepresumed tobetheauthor ofthatwork. Inthecases ofcomputer programs andaudiovisual
works, thenatural orlegalperson whose name ortitleappears onthephysical carrier ofthework in
themanner usually usedtoindicate therightholder ispresumed tobetherightholder ofthecopyright.
Collecting societies established exclusively toengage inthefunctions ofadministering or/and
protecting theeconomic right(Articles 54to58ofLaw2121/1993) areentitled toinitiate judicial or
extrajudicial action intheirownname andtoexercise infulllegitimacy allrights transferred tothem
1Document IP/C/5IP/N/6/GRC/1
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orforwhich theyholdpower ofattorney. Greek Lawintroduces apresumption providing thata
collecting society isentitled tohavethecompetence fortheadministration and/or protection ofthe
right inrespect ofalltheworks orinrespect ofalltherightholders concerning which orwhom a
declaration oftransfer tothesociety hasbeeneffected inwriting orforwhich ithasbeengranted power
ofattorney (Article 55par.2 ofLaw2121/1993).
Thestateimposed costs arenothigh. Asuccessful plaintiff isentitled toanaward ofcourt
costs butinpractice suchawards arelow. Greek lawdoesnotallow forrecovery ofinvestigational
costs suchassearch costs orexpert 'sfees.
AdministrativeproceduresmaybeinitiatedbeforetheNationalRadio/TelevisionCouncil(NRTC).
Under thenewBroadcast Law(Law 2328/1995 FEKA'/3-8-1995) anyactofinfringement byprivate
TVstations ofLaw2121/1993 entails theimposition ofpenalties ofArticle 4par.1(c) ofthenew
Broadcast Law(fines, revocation ofthelicence). Moreover, Article 1par.24 ofthenewBroadcast
Lawprovides thatallprivate TVchannels must, prior toanybroadcasting, submit totheMinistry of
Press andMass Media adeclaration oftheauthor ortherightholder oftherespective society stating
thattheTVchannel hasundertaken topaytheTVrights forthebroadcasting ofeachprogram. The
TVchannel may, instead ofthedeclaration, deposit acontract ofTVrights 'assignment. Incasethe
TVchannel failstocomply within thirty dayswiththisrequest, itissubject toallpenalties ofArticle 4
ofthenewBroadcast Law. These penalties areadditional toandindependent from anyother civil
penal liability oftheTVchannel foranyactofcopyright infringement.
Provisional Judiciary Measures
Article 63par.1 provides thatwhenever anunauthorised public performance ofadramatic,
cinematographic ormusical work isscheduled totakeplace, thecompetent localpolice authority must
prohibit thisperformance uponapplication oftheauthor orrightholder. ThePublic Prosecutor, when
requested, mustgrant thepolice authority anorder tothiseffect. Thesame isapplied when thepublic
performance ofawork hasbeen inprogress formore thantwodays without payment ofdue
remuneration.
According toArticle 63par.3 ofLaw2121/1993, whenever acopyright orrelated rights '
violation islikely totakeplace, thesingle-member court ofthefirstinstance mayissue aprohibition
order without thenecessity ofspecifically designating theworks thereby protected.
Moreover, under Article 64ofLaw2121/1993 ifthere isapossibility thataninfringement
ofcopyright orrelated rights isoccurring ormayoccur, thesingle-member court ofthefirstinstance
canorder asaninterim measure theconservatory seizure ofanyiteminthepossession ofthedefendant
which ismanifestly ameans totheeffecting oftheinfringement oraproduct orevidence ofthe
infringement. Alternatively, thecourt canorder thedrawing upofaninventory andthephotographic
record ofthese items. According tothespecific provision ofArticle 64ofLaw2121/1993 combined
withArticle 687par.1 oftheGreek Code ofCivilProcedure thecourt may,inveryurgent cases, order
theprovisional measures ofconservatory seizure orinventory orphotographic record inaudita altera
parte (without prior summoning ofthealleged infringer). Inthese cases thecourt isalleged togive
aprovisionary order pursuant toArticle 691par.2 oftheCode ofCivil Procedure untilthehearing
oftheapplication inorder topreserve therights atrisk.
Thesingle-member court ofthefirstinstance maygiveaprovisionary order pursuant tothe
provisions oftheGreek Code ofCivilProcedure inveryurgent casesorincasesofadirect andimminent
risk. Injunctions maybeordered according tothegeneral provisions oftheGreek Code ofCivil
Procedure.IP/N/6/GRC/1
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Special Requirements Related toBorder Measures
Inrelation withborder measures, ECRegulations No.3295/94 and1367/95 have been
implemented inGreece byvirtue ofMinistry ofFinance circular letter No.T.10231/1781/A 0019/
12-12-1995 which incorporated them intotheGreek legalsystem.
Criminal Procedures
Law2121/1993 introduces acriminal lawsystem byvirtue ofwhich criminal proceedings can
beapplied against allactswhich constitute copyright/related rights 'infringement (Article 66par.1
and2ofLaw 2121/1993). According toArticle 66ofLaw 2121/1993, thepenalties against
copyright/related rights 'infringement areimprisonment from oneuptofiveyears andapecuniary
penalty ofoneuptofivemillion drachmas. Iftheprofit which theinfringer wasaiming tomake or
thedamages incurred bytherightholders areparticularly high, thepenalties areincreased toatleast
twouptofiveyears ofimprisonment andtoapecuniary penalty ofatleasttwouptotenmillion
drachmas.
Iftheinfringer isaperson whocommits theinfringement bywayofstandard practice orif
thecircumstances surrounding theperpetration oftheactindicate thattheguilty party poses aserious
threat totheprotection ofcopyright orrelated rights thepenalty shallbeimprisonment ofuptoten
years andapecuniary penalty offiveuptotwenty million drachmas together withwithdrawal ofthe
infringer 'sprotectional operation licence (Article 66par.3 ofLaw2121/1993).
Thepenalties provided byLaw2121/1993 areverysevere andcanactasdeterrent tocopyright
andrelated rightinfringement.
According totheGreek Code ofCriminal Procedure, search orders andseizures ofpirated
material canbeordered bytheProsecutor during penal proceedings. Prosecutors havetheauthority
toorder searches inorder topreserve evidence ofcopyright infringement. Business material canbe
seized ifconsidered ascrucial evidence oftheinfringement.