WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION 
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DU COMMERCE 
ORGANIZACION MUNDIAL DEL COMERCIO 
Council for Trade-Related Aspects 
of Intellectual Property Rights IP/N/I/CZE/C/l 
20 March 1996 
(96-1015) 
Original: English/anglais/ingles 
MAIN DEDICATED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAWS AND REGULATIONS 
NOTIFIED UNDER ARTICLE 63.2 OF THE AGREEMENT 
Czech Republic 
The present document reproduces 1 the Act on Literary, Scientific and Artistic Works (the 
Copyright Act) of 25 March 1965, including amendments, as notified by the Czech Republic 
(see document IP/N/lICZE/I). 
Conseil des aspects des droits de propriete 
intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce 
PRINCIPALES LOIS ET REGLEMENTATIONS CONSACREES A LA 
PROPRIETE INTELLECTUELLE NOTIFIEES AU TITRE 
DE L'ARTICLE 63:2 DE L'ACCORD 
Republique tcheque 
Le present document contient le texte1 de la Loi du 25 mars 1965 sur les oeuvres litteraires, 
scientifiques et artistiques (Loi sur le droit d'auteur), y compris les modifications, notifiee par la 
Republique tcheque (voir le document IP/N/lICZE/I). 
Consejo de los Aspectos de los Derechos de Propiedad 
Intelectual relacionados con el Comercio 
PRINCIPALES LEYES Y REGLAMENTOS DEDICADOS A LA 
PROPIEDAD INTELECTUAL NOTIFICADOS EN VIRTUD 
DEL pARRAFO 2 DEL ARTICULO 63 DEL ACUERDO 
Republica Checa 
El presente documento reproduce 1 la Ley de Obras Literarias, Cientificas y Artisticas (Ley 
del derecho de autor) de 25 de marzo de 1965, incluidas las enmiendas notificadas por la Republica 
Checa (vease el documento IP/N/lICZE/I). 
IIn English only.l Anglais seulement.lEn ingles solamente. IP/N/1/CZE/C/l 
Page 2 
ACT No. 35 
of March 25, 1965 unofficial translation 
CONCERNING LITERARY, SCIENTIFIC AND ARTISTIC WORKS 
(THE COPYRIGHT ACT) (the complete wording as modified and 
amended by the Act of March 28, 1990, No. 89 Coll.,by the Act of November 1,1991 No.468 
ColI. , by the Act of December 8, 1993 No.318 CoIl. and by the Act of September 27, 1995, 
No. 237 Coll. ) - 1 -
THE PRESIDIUM OF THE FEDERAL ASSE1\1BL Y ENACTS IP IN 11 ICZE/CI 1 
Page 3 
the complete wording of the Act of March 25, 1965 No. 35 CoIl. concerning literary, 
scientific and artistic works (the Copyright Act), as modified and amended by the Act of 
March 28, 1990, No. 89 Coll.,by the Act of November 1 ,1991 , Nr.468/1991 ColI and by the 
Act of december 8 ,1993 ,Nr. 318/1993 ColI. 
An Act 
concerning literary, scientific and artistic works (the Copyright Act) 
The National Assembly of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic passed the following Act : 
Section 1 
deleted 
PART ONE 
COPYRIGHT 
Section 2 
The work 
( 1 ) The subject of copyright are literary, scientific and artistic works which are the result 
of their author's creative activity, in particular literary, theatrical, musical and artistic works, 
including works of architecture and applied art, as well as film, photographic and cartographic 
works. The subject of copyright protection are computer programs provided that they comply 
\Vith conditions of characteristics given by this Act. 
( 2 ) The provisions of the present Act do not apply to legal regulations and decisions, 
public documents, official documents, daily reports or speeches made in the course of public 
events, however, the publication of a collection of such speeches or their inclusion in annals 
requires the consent of the person who made them. IP/N/lICZE/C/l 
Page 4 
-2-
Section 3 
Treatment and translation of a work 
( 1) Copyright also covers new original works which are the pr04uct of an origina~ 
creative treatment of another work. 
( 2) Furthemore, copyright also applies to translation of works into other languages. 
( 3 ) A work may be treated or translated into another language only with the permission 
of its author. The author's permission is not required for translation into another language in 
the case of works specified in Section 2, par. 2. 
Section 4 
Collected works 
( 1) Copyright also covers annals, periodicals, reviews, exhibitions and other collected 
works, provided that their arrangement is the result of creative activity, a particular work may 
be included in a collected work only with the permission of its author. 
( 2) The copyright to a collected work as a whole appertains to the person who arranged 
such work, this does not affect the rights of the authors of the works included in the collected 
work. 
( 3 ) The copyright to a published anna~ cartographic work and a periodical is excercised 
by the publisher. 
Section 5 
Combined works 
( 1 ) Works may be combined only with the permission of their authors. Combined works 
are disposed of by all the authors jointly. 
( 2) The rights of the authors to dispose of the combined works in another manner are not 
affected. 
( 3 ) A musical work with lyrics may be performed with the permission of the author of 
the musical part alone. - 3 -
Section 6 
Film works IP/N/lICZE/C/l 
Page 5 
The authors of the individual component parts of a film work or a work expressed in a 
similar manner grant permission to the producer to use the work by contract. The copyright to 
the work thus created as a whole is exercised by the producer. 
Section 7 
Works of co-authors 
The copyright to a work which was created by the creative activity of several authors as a 
single work belongs to all the co-authors jointly and severally_ 
Section 8 
Anonymous and pseudo-anonymous works 
( 1) The identity of an author whose work was published without the indication of his 
name or under a pseudonym may not be disclosed without his consent. 
( 2) Until the author publicly proclaims his indentity, the copyright to the work may be 
applied by the person who has lawfully published it for the first time or, if it had not been 
published, by the person who had made it public. The author's public proclamation is not 
required if his true name is generally known. 
Section 9 
The establishment of copyright 
( 1 ) Copyright to a work is established at the moment such work is expressed in words, ID 
writing, by a drawing, a sketch, or in any other perceptible form. 
( 2) Copyright to a work relates both to the work as a whole and its individual parts. IP/NIlICZE/CI 1 
Page 6 
-4-
Section 10 
Malcing public and publishing a work 
( 1 ) A work is considered to have been made public on the day on which it was publicly 
produced or exhibited, published or otherwise introduced to the public with authorization. 
( 2) A work is considered to have been published on the day on which its public 
circulation through its multiplication began under authorization. 
Section 11 
Land of origin 
( 1) The land of origin of a work shall be considered to be : 
a) in the case of unpublished works the state whose citizenship is held by the author, 
b) in the case of published works the state where the first, authorized edition of the work was 
published. 
( 2) A work which was published simultaneously on the territory of the Czechoslovak 
Socialist Republic and else -where is considered as a work published in the Czechoslovak 
Socialist Republic, the term "simultaneous publication" is understood as meaning publication 
within the time span of not more than 30 days. 
Section 12 
The content of copyright 
( 1) The author is entitled : 
a) to the protection ofhis authorship, in particular to the inviolability of his work and, if the 
work is used by another person, to having the work used in a manner which does not 
detract from its value, 
b) to dispose ofhis work, in paticular to decide on its publication and to authorize its use, 
c) to remuneration for creative work (Section 13) . 
( 2) The right to the protection of authorship is not transferrable. 
Section 13 
( 1 ) The author is entitled to remuneration whenever his work is used, with the exceptions 
specified in Section 15. The amount of the remuneration is governed by the value of the work 
and its social importance. - 5 -IP/N/1/CZE/C/l 
Page 7 
( 2) The authors of works which, according to their character, can be reproduced for one's 
own personal need ( Section 15, par. 2,a», on the basis of 
a) radio or television broadcastings, or 
b) sound, image or audiovisual recordings made by their producers ( Section 45 ) 
transferred with the help of technical means to blank recording support, are entitled to 
remuneration from producers of such supports or from their importers. The right for 
remuneration cannot be claimed in case of blank recording supports for export or operational 
needs of natural or legal persons. 
(3 ) The authors of works which ,according to their character, can be reproduced for 
one's own personal need ( Section 15, par. 2,a», on the basis of printed matters or their 
duplications transferred with the help of technical plants to another material basis, are entitled 
to remuneration from producers of such plants or from their importers. 
( 4) The rates of remunerations and remedies by par. 2 and 3 ,method of their payment as 
well as distribution of remuneration among individual groups of legitimate persons may be set 
by public edict issued by the Ministry of Culture. 
Use ofa work 
Section 14 
( 1 ) A work may be used only with the author's permission, unless authorization is 
provided directly under the law. The author grants his permission to use his work by contract. 
( 2) The Ministry of Culture may issue model contracts for the individual manners of use 
ofa work. 
( 3 ) The author's permission arising from the law may not be excluded or restricted by 
agreement between the parties. 
( 4 ) A work may be used without the author's permission only in the cases specified in 
Sections 15 and 16, under a judicial decision issued under Section 17, par. 2, or with official 
permission under Section 18. 
Section 15 
( 1 ) Copyright is not violated by a person who uses a theme contained in another person's 
work for the creation of a new, original work. IP/NIlICZE/CI 1 
Page 8 
- 6 -
( 2) The author's permission for the use of a work is not required and remuneration need 
not be paid by a person who 
a) makes a reproduction, or imitation of a work made public, for his personal need, provided 
that, in the case of works of art, he clearly marks it as a copy or imitation, and if the repro­
duction or imitation do not involve an architectural work reproduced by construction or 
another realization, provision of Section 13, par. 2, remains unchanged, 
b) quotes excerpts from a published works and lists the author and the title of the work, 
c) includes in a scientific or critical work to the extent necessary for the explanation of the 
text, or in textbooks or instruction aids to a warranted extent, parts of published works, 
small published works in their entirety, reproductions or imitations of works or their parts, 
provided he lists the author and the source, 
d) uses a published work in an independent lecture exclusively for instruction or educational 
, purposes, provided he lists the author as welll as the work, 
e) reprints in a periodical articles of topical significance concerning economic or political 
matters already published in other periodicals, provided he lists the author and the source, 
however, such reprint is not admissible if it was expressly prohibited, 
f) imitates a work of art, displayed in public premises, in another field of art, photographs of 
a thus displayed work of art may be reproduced and distributed also \\ithout the author's 
penmsslon, 
g) prints in the cataloque of a public collection or exhibition a picture of a work of art 
included therein, . 
h) publicly displays works of art or photographic works which the author previously 
transferred to an organization, if a work of art, or a photographic work, was transferred 
into personal ownership, the author's permission is not required, if such work is exhibited 
free of charge or if was lent free of charge to an organization for display, 
i) reproduces or has ~eproduced for his personal need or for free distribution a photographic 
work which is his portrait and which was ordered for pay, 
j) makes a reproduction of sold out edition of a work for documentary purposes of public 
library and for scientific research, 
k) with the help of special technology reproduces a work for the needs of blinds. 
( 3 ) The author's permission is not required and remuneration for the use of a work need 
not be provided by an organization in reporting a timely event by photography, film, radio or 
television, if a work performed or displayed during such event is also used to a warranted 
extent. - 7 -IP/N/lICZE/C/l 
Page 9 
( 4 ) A legitimate owner of reproduction of computer program is not liable to ask for 
author's permission to make a reproduction or adaptation of such a program for the purposes 
of operation proper of computer itself or for archives' purposes, for replacement of 
legitimately acquired reproduction that was lost, destroyed or otherwise impaired as the case 
may be, the owner shall not pay author any remuneration for making such a reproduction. 
Section 16 
( 1 ) The independent use of a work, except for its radio or television broadcasting, shall be 
also every further public distribution of the work broadcasted in such way with help of any 
equipment for sound or image transmission, should such distibution be petformed by an entity 
o~er then the originally broadcasting organisation 
( 2) Simultaneous, coplete and unchanged transmision of radio or television broadcasting 
realized by cable or by other means is considered to be a part of wireless radio or television 
broadcasting carried out by the same organisations. Reception of radio or television 
broadcasting made possible through recievers of inhabitants of the same house or neighbouring 
houses as the case may be with the help of aerial dievices ( so called common aerials) shall not 
be considered a special use. 
( 3 ) deleted 
Section 17 
( 1 ) An employer may use for the fulfilment of tasks belonging to subject-matter of its 
business a scientific or artistic work created by its employee within the scope ofhis or her 
duties arising from employment relation without the author's further permission. 
( 2) An employer whose subject-matter of business includes publishing or other 
publication of works may publish or make otherwise public the work of its employee created 
in the fulfilment ofhis or her duties arising from employment relation with the author's 
pemlission only. If the author refuses to grant such permission \Vithout serious reasons such 
employer may seek judicial permission to publish the work. 
( 3 ) The author of a work created in the fulfilment ofills or her duties arising from his or 
her employment relation to an employer may grant permisssion to make the work public only 
with the consent of such employer. If the employer refuses to give him or her such consent 
without serious reasons, the author may seek such consent in coutt. IP/N/lICZE/C/l 
Page 10 
- 8 -
( 4 ) More detailed conditions for using a work created in the fulfilment of duties arising 
from an employment relation to an employee shall be governed by a contract. Unless this 
contract provides otherwise, the employer has the right to demand that the author pays to it an 
appropriate contribution from his or her remuneration as an author towards the reimbursement 
of the costs it had incurred with respect to the creation of the work. 
( 5 ) Provisions of paragraphs 1 - 4 are applicable by analogy for works created in the 
fulfilment of duties arising from membership to an organization. 
Section 18 
The ~ of Culture may replace by its decision the author's permission to translate 
works of foreign nationals into the languages of the nations inhabiting the Czechoslovak 
S,ocialist Republic, provided that international treaties so allow and under conditions specified 
therein. 
Transfer of copyright 
Section 19 
( 1 ) The author may transfer only the right to use his or her work. 
( 2) The acquirer may transfer his acquired right to a third person only with the author's 
penmsslon. 
( 3 ) The author may transfer the right to use his or her work through its introduction to 
the public only to a person authorized to introduce works to the public in the respective 
manner. 
Section 20 
Deleted 
Section 21 
If a juristic person or a natural person to which the right to use a work was transferred 
ceases to exist or dies as the case may be without a legal successor, the author shall regain the 
right to decide on the future use of his or her work. - 9 -
Contracts on the distribution of a work 
Section 22 IP/NIlICZE/CI1 
Page 11 
( 1) In a contract on the distribution of a work the author grants the organization for 
remuneration the permission to distribute his or her work, cumulative contracts may include 
conditions of distribution of a work. 
( 2) Contracts on the distribution of a work include in particular the publisher's contract, 
the contract on the public performance of a work, the contract on the distribution of sound 
recording of a work and the contract on the radio and television broadcast of a work. 
( 3 ) A contract on the distribution of a work shall determine the method and scope of the 
distribution of the work, the time when this will be done, the author's remuneration, the mode 
of the author's cooperation, the period for which the contract has been concluded, and the 
pledge of the organization that it will distribute the work at its own cost. 
( 4) Unless the Ministry of Culture provides otherwise, a contract on the distribution of a 
work shall be executed in writing. 
Section 23 
( 1 ) The author has the duty to submit his work to the organization in time and in such 
form that it may be distributed without difficulty in the agreed manner. 
( 2) The organization may cancel the contract, if the author has failed "vithout a serious 
reason to submit to it his work properly even within a supplementary term granted to him or 
her by the organization, a supplementary term need not be granted, if the contract or the nature 
of the matter indicate that the organization can have no interest in the delayed fulfilment of the 
contract. In such case the organization may demand the return of whatever performance it has 
already made to the author. 
( 3) The author may cancel and demand the return of his or her work, if the work has not 
been distributed within the term agreed on in the contract, this shall not affect his or her right 
to the author's remuneration. 
Publisher's contract 
Section 24 
( 1 ) In a publisher's contract the author grants his or her permission to publish a literary 
work, a work of musical drama or music, a \-vork of art, or a pohotographic work, and the 
publisher undertakes to publish the work at his own cost, to take measures for its publication, 
and to pay the author remuneration. IP/NIlICZE/CI1 
Page 12 
-10 -
( 2) As long as the relation established by the publishers contract lasts, the author may not 
grant to another organization permission to publish his or her work without the publisher's 
consent, unless a publication ofhis or her collected works or a publication of the work in a 
periodic publication are involved. 
( 3 ) If the work is sold out before the period for which the contra.ct was concluded has 
expired, teh author may demand that the publisher publish another edition even if no second 
edition had been agreed upon. If a contract on a new edition of the work is not agreed on 
within six months, the author shall be free to negotiate the contract with another publisher. 
Section 25 
( 1) The author has the right to make changes in the proofs. 
( 2) If the author is not given the possibility to make such changes in the proofs, he may 
cancel the contract and demand the return of the work, provided the work would be used in a 
manner detracting from its value, his right to the author's remuneration shall not be thereby 
affected. 
Section 26 
Contract on the public performance of a work 
In a contract on the public performance of a work the author grants an organization his or 
her permission to perform a theatrical or musical work, and the organization undertakes to 
perform the work at its own cost and to pay remuneration to the author. 
Section 27 
Contract on the creation of a work 
( 1 ) In a contract on the creation of a work the author undertakes to create for a customer 
for remuneration a literary, scientific or artistic work and grants permission to the customer to 
use such work for the purpose specified in the contract. 
( 2) The author has the obligation to create the work personally within the specified term. 
Unless an agreement to the contrary has been made, the author shall acquire the title to the 
agreed remuneration by handling over his or her work. -11 -IP/N/lICZE/C/1 
Page 13 
( 3 ) If the work has defects which prevent its use for the purpose specified in the cotract, 
the customer may cancel the cotract. If the defects can be removed, the customer may cansel 
the contract only if the author has failed to remove the defects within an appropriate term 
granted him by the customer for this purpose. 
( 4) The provision of Section 23, paragraph 2, applies mutatis mutandis to contracts on the 
creation of a work. 
Section 28 
Contacts on other uses of a work 
Contracts on other uses of a work shall be governed mutatis mutandis by the provision of 
Section 22, par. 3, and Section 23. 
Section 29 
Passage of copyright 
( 1) Copyright shall pass onto heirs. The provisions of the present Act concerning the 
author shall also apply to his or her heirs, unless their nature indicates otherwise. 
( 2) If a co-author does not have an heir, his or her share accrue to the other co-authors. 
Transfer of a work 
Section 30 
Whoever acquires the original of a work or its reproduction does not acquire by such 
transfer the right to use the work, unless an agreement to the contrary has been made. 
Section 31 
An author who transferred the original of his or her work against payment may demand a 
reasonable settlement from any acquirer who has obtained a socially unwarranted material 
benefit from a further transfer of the ownership of the work. The author shall not waive this 
claim in advance. IP/NIl/CZE/CI 1 
Page 14 
-12 -
Section 32 
Violation of copyright 
( 1 ) An author whose copyright has been violated may demand in particular that its further 
violation be prohibited, the consequences of the violation be removed, and that he or she be 
given an appropriate satisfaction. If a considerable detriment of non-proprietary nature has 
resulted from violation of copyright, an author may demand a satisfaction expressed in a cash 
value unless the other satisfaction is not sufficient, the amount of that ·cash value shall be 
determined by court which, in particular, takes account of the extent of detriment suffered as 
well as of circumstances of copyright violation. 
( 2) If author suffered damage through the violation ofhis or her copyright, he or she may 
claim compensation under the Civil Code. 
( 3) In the case of a work created jointly by several co-authors, the title under paragraphs 
I-and 2 above also appertains to the individual co-authors separately. 
Duration of copyright 
Section 33 
( 1 ) Unless otherwise provided below, copyright shall last throughout the author's lifetime 
and 50 years after his or her death, and, in the case of works by co-authors and of combined 
works created for purposes of use in this connection 50 years after the death of the co-author 
who survived the others. 
( 2) The duration of copyright to a work which forms part of an estate and which was 
published for the first time within the last ten days of the term set under paragraph 1 above, 
shall be extended to ten years from the publication of the work. 
( 3 ) In the case of anonymous works and works created under a pseudonym, where the 
identity of the author is unlmown, copyright shall last 50 years after their publication. 
( 4) Copyright to film works shall last 50 years after they have been made public. 
( 5) In the case of annals and periodicals published by organizations, copyright shall last 
ten years after their publication. 
( 6) Copyright to photographic works shall last throughout the author's lifetime and ten 
years after his death. 
( 7) However, the right to the protection of authorship is unlimited in time. -13 -
Section 34 IP/N/lICZE/C/1 
Page 15 
The duration of copyright is always counted only from the end of the year in which the 
event decisive for the count took place. 
Section 35 
Public domain 
( 1) If the author has no heirs or if his or her heirs refuse to accept the inheritance, his 
works shall become public domain, with the exception listed in Section 29, par 2, even before 
the expiration of the terms specified in Section 33. 
( 2) If the period of duration of copyright has expired or if a work has become public 
domain for another reason, the user need not ask permission for using the work or to pay the 
author's remuneration. However, a work which is public domain may be used only in a manner 
corresponding to its value, and its author, ifhe or she is known, must be listed. The observance 
of this condition shall be attended to by the author's unions and the organizations specified in 
Section 44. 
( 3) deleted 
PART TWO 
RIGHTS OF PERFORMING ARTISTS 
Section 36 
( 1) The subject of the rights of performing artists under the present Act are their artistic 
performances, that is performance of actors, singers, musicians, dancers, and the other persons 
who act, sing, play, recite or otherwise perform a literary or artistic work. 
( 2) Performances of performing artists may not be used without their permission for 
a) a sound, pictorial or combined recording ( further referred to only as "recording" ) made 
for the production of reproductions desitned for public sale, or for the production of films 
designed for public projection ( further referred to as "pictures" ), 
b) making pictures designed for public sale or the use of recordings or pictures for other 
purposes than for which permission was granted, with the exception of the cases listed 
under Section 37, par. 1, 
c) radio or television broadcasts, 
d) public projection or other distribution, if the performance was made for somebody else 
than the organization which wants to use it. IP/NIlICZE/CI 1 
Page 16 
purposes than for which permission was granted, with the exception of the cases listed 
under Section 37, par. 1, 
c) radio or television broadcasts, 
d) public projection or other distribution, if the performance was made for somebody else 
than the organization which wants to use it. 
( 3 ) PeIforming artists are entitled to remuneration for the use of their performance. 
Section 37 
( 1 ) The permission of the perfomllng artist is not required 
a) for producing a recording ofhis performance for a radio or television organization, if the 
recording is made by such organization by its'own means and for its own. broadcasts, 
b) for broadcasting his performance by radio and television, if the broadcast is made from 
a recording or picture produced with the permission of the performing artist, 
c) for a public presentation ofhis performance from a recording or a picture produced with 
his permission, or a performance broadcast by radio or television, 
d) for the use ofhis performance for the personal need of the user, this shall not change 
provision of Section 13, par. 2 ( Section 39, par. 1 ). 
Section 38 
The rights of performing artists shall last 50 years from the end of the year when the 
performance was recorded. 
Section 39 
( 1 ) Provisions of Section 5 bis 9, Section 12, Section 13, par. 2 till 4, Section 14, par. 1, 
Section 15, par. 3, Section 16, Section 19, Section 21 bis 23, Section 26 and 27, Section 29, 
Section 32, par. 1 and 2,Section 33, par. 7, Section 34 and 35, par. 2 shall apply mutatis 
mutandis also to performing artists and their performances, the same shall be in force with 
Section 35, par. 1, while duration of the copyright shall be governed by Section 38. 
( 2) The Ministry of Culture may determine the manner in which performing artists shall 
apply their rights under the present Act, if several of them participate in a single performance. 
PART THREE 
ORGANIZATIONS OF AUTHORS AND PERFORMING ARTISTS 
Sections 40, 41, 42, 43, 44 deleted -15 -
PART FOUR IP/N/lICZE/C/1 
Page 17 
RIGHTS OF PRODUCERS OF SOUND RECORDINGS AND OF RADIO AND 
TELEVISION ORGANIZATIONS 
Section 45 
( 1) The subject of the rights of producers of sound recordings under the present Act are 
sound recordings of the performances of perfonning artists or other sounds. 
( 2) The permission of the producer of sound recordings is required for 
a) broadcasting of sound recordings and pictures by radio and television, 
b) reproducing of sound recording or a picture for other than personal needs of the repro­
ducer, : this shall not change provision of Section 13, par. 2 ( Section 45, par. 4 ). 
c) public presentation of sound recordings or pictures. 
( 3 ) The producer may demand compensation for the permission granted under paragraph 
2 above, the Ministry of Culture may regulate the amount of the compensation in its general 
legal regulation, in doing so the Ministry may lay down exceptions from the duty to grant 
compensation. 
( 4) The provisions of Section 13, par. 2 and 3 apply similarly to producers of sound 
recordings. 
( 5 ) The right of the producer of sound recordings shall last 50 years from the end of the 
year in which the recording was made. 
Section 46 
( 1 ) The subject of the rights of a radio or television organization are its own, broadcast 
programmes. 
-16 -IP/NIlICZE/CI 1 
Page 18 -1 r~ -
( 2) A radio or television programme may be rebroadcast, recorded for other than 
personal needs and further reproduced or otherwise, publicly disseminated only with the 
permission of the organization which realized the programme, the organization may demand 
compensation for such permission, the Ministry of Culture may regulate the amount of 
compensation in its general legal regulation, in so doing the Ministry may lay down exceptions 
from the duty to grant compensation. 
( 3 ) Provisions of Section 13, par. 2 and 3 apply similarly to radio and television 
organizations. 
( 4) The rights of radio and television organizations shall last 50 years from the end of the 
year in which the broadcast was made for the first time. 
Section 47 
Permission of the producer of sound recordings and radio and television organizations, or 
the payment of compensation, are not required, if the production of the recording or the 
picture and their exclusive use for reporting timely events or for scientific or instruction 
purposes are involved. 
Section 48 
The Government may determine under what conditions the rights listed in Sections 45 and 
46 are granted to foreign producers of sound recordings and radio and television organizations 
under international treaties. -17 -
PART FIVE 
JOINT PROVISIONS 
Section 49 
Abolished 
Section 50 IP/NIlICZE/CI 1 
Page 19 
( 1) The provisions of the present Act apply to the works of authors who are 
Czechoslovak nationals irrespective of where they may have been created or published. The 
name applies to the works of authors who enjoy the right of asylum in the Czechoslovak 
Socialist Republic. 
( 2) The provisions of the present Act apply to the works of foreign nationals under 
international treaties and, if there are no such treaties, if reciprocity is guaranteed. 
( 3 ) If none of the conditions specified in paragraph 2 above are met, the present Act shall 
apply to the works of authors who are not Czechoslovak nationals, if such works were 
published or made public for the first time, or if the author resides, in the Czechoslovak 
Socialist Republic. 
( 4) Copyright relating to the works of foreign nationals may not last longer than in the 
country of origin of the work. 
( 5 ) The provisions of paragraphs 1 to 4 above apply mutatis mutandis to performing 
altists and their performances. 
Interim and final provisions 
Section 51 
( 1 ) The duration od copyright is governed by the present Act also if it had begun prior to 
the day the Act entered into effect. If the present Act provides for a longer duration, such 
extension shall apply only to works where the copyright had not yet expired prior to such day. 
( 2) The same applies to the rights of performing artists, producers of sound recordings, 
and radio and television organizations. IP/NIlICZE/C/l 
Page 20 
-18 -
Section 52 
The protection of works of applied art under the present Act does not preclude protection 
of such works also under the regulations concerning the protection of industrial models. 
Section 53 
( 1) Unless the provisions of the present Act or the regulations issued for its 
implementation indicate otherwise, the legal relations of authors and performing artists, which 
have arisen in connection with the creation and use of their works or performances, are 
governed by general legal regulations. 
( 2 ) Disputes regarding claims arising from the present Act shall be decided by the courts. 
Section 54 
Act No.115/1953 Coll. concerning copyright law is abolished. 
Section 55 
This Act shall become effective as of July 1, 1965. 
The Act No. 89/1990 CoIl., modifying and amending the Act concerning literary, scientific 
and artistic works (the Copyright Act) entered into effect on June 1, 1990. 