UrhG

UrhG, short for Urheberrechtsgesetz (Copyright Act), is Germany’s central statute governing copyright and related rights. It protects works of authorship across literature, science, and the arts, including software and databases, and it also covers neighboring rights of performers, producers of phonograms and videograms, and broadcasters. The act defines the rights of authors to reproduce, distribute, publicly perform or make works available to the public, and it recognizes moral rights that protect the author’s personal relationship with the work and its integrity.

Protection generally lasts for the life of the author plus 70 years after death; for jointly authored works the term extends to the death of the last surviving author, with special rules applying to other categories of works. Exploitation rights typically include reproduction, distribution, adaptation, and public communication, and rights may be transferred or licensed to others under contractual terms. Moral rights, such as the right to attribution and to object to distortion, remain with the author even after assignment of exploitation rights.

The UrhG also contains limitations and exceptions (Schrankenregelungen) that permit certain uses without authorization, for purposes such as quotation, criticism, education, and private use, subject to specific conditions. There are additional provisions for libraries, archives, and special online uses, with ongoing adjustments to reflect digital technologies and European Union directives.

Enforcement of the UrhG is civil and involves remedies such as injunctions, damages, and legal costs, exercised through German courts. The act shapes the legal framework for the creation, dissemination, and monetization of creative works in Germany and interacts with broader EU copyright law.