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Urhebergesetz

The Urhebergesetz, or Copyright Act, is a fundamental piece of legislation in Germany that governs the rights of creators of literary and artistic works. It was enacted in 1965 and has since undergone several revisions to adapt to the evolving landscape of digital media and technology. The act is designed to protect the rights of authors, including the right to reproduce, distribute, and publicly perform their works, as well as the right to create derivative works based on their original creations.

The Urhebergesetz defines several key rights for authors, including the right of reproduction, the right of

The Urhebergesetz also establishes a system of copyright term, which determines the duration for which a work

The act also includes provisions for the legal use of copyrighted works, such as fair use and

In recent years, the Urhebergesetz has been amended to address new challenges posed by digital technology,

distribution,
the
right
of
public
performance,
and
the
right
of
creation
of
derivative
works.
These
rights
are
exclusive
and
can
only
be
exercised
by
the
author
or
their
legal
representatives.
The
act
also
provides
for
moral
rights,
which
include
the
right
to
be
identified
as
the
author
of
a
work
and
the
right
to
object
to
any
distortion,
mutilation,
or
other
modification
of
a
work
that
would
be
prejudicial
to
the
author's
honor
or
reputation.
is
protected
by
copyright.
In
general,
the
term
of
protection
for
a
work
is
the
author's
lifetime
plus
70
years.
However,
there
are
exceptions
and
special
rules
for
certain
types
of
works,
such
as
anonymous
or
pseudonymous
works,
works
made
for
hire,
and
works
that
are
part
of
a
collective
work.
exceptions
for
the
purposes
of
criticism,
reporting,
teaching,
and
research.
These
exceptions
are
designed
to
balance
the
interests
of
authors
with
the
public
interest
in
the
dissemination
of
knowledge
and
information.
such
as
the
sharing
of
copyrighted
works
on
the
internet
and
the
use
of
copyrighted
works
in
new
media
formats.
These
amendments
have
included
provisions
for
the
legal
use
of
copyrighted
works
in
digital
environments
and
the
establishment
of
new
mechanisms
for
the
enforcement
of
copyright
rights
in
the
digital
age.