Autoriõigusega

Autoriõigusega is the Estonian term for copyright. It is a legal right granted to the creator of original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic, musical, and certain other intellectual works. This right subsists in the form of expression of an idea, not the idea itself. The purpose of copyright is to protect the rights of creators and to encourage the creation and dissemination of new works.

In Estonia, copyright protection arises automatically upon the creation of an original work, without the need for registration. The duration of copyright protection is generally for the life of the author plus 70 years after their death. Once copyright expires, the work enters the public domain and can be used freely by anyone.

Copyright law grants the author exclusive rights to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, and publicly display their work. It also grants the right to create derivative works based on the original. Infringement of copyright occurs when someone uses a copyrighted work without permission from the copyright holder. Remedies for infringement can include injunctions, damages, and legal fees.

Exceptions to copyright protection exist, such as for fair use (or "fair dealing" in some jurisdictions), which allows limited use of copyrighted material for purposes such as criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research. Estonia's copyright law, like that of many other countries, is largely harmonized with international treaties and directives, ensuring a consistent framework for protecting intellectual property globally.