Urhebern

Urhebern is a German-language term that denotes the holders of copyright in a creative work—typically the author or another entity that owns the exclusive rights to use, reproduce, and distribute the work. Copyright generally arises automatically at the moment of creation or fixation; the author initially holds the rights, but they can be transferred, licensed, or assigned to publishers, studios, or corporations.

In some legal traditions, such as Germany, there are moral rights (Urheberpersönlichkeitsrechte) that remain with the author even if economic rights are transferred; these rights include attribution and the right to object to derogatory alterations. The rights conferred typically include reproduction, distribution, public communication, and adaptation, and are usually exclusive and transferable by contract.

The term of protection varies by jurisdiction; commonly it is the life of the author plus a fixed number of years after death (often 70 in many countries) or a fixed term for corporate or anonymous works. In joint authorship, the term is tied to the life or lives of the authors involved. Urhebern may license their rights to others, with licensing terms that can be exclusive or non-exclusive and may involve sublicensing and royalties.

In the digital era, enforcement mechanisms for Urhebern include takedown procedures and legal actions against infringement. Collective management organizations may also represent Urhebern in administering rights on their behalf in certain jurisdictions, handling licensing and royalties for groups of creators.