Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Upphovsrättslig tvångslicens i kris - En studie om förutsättningarna för att utnyttja skyddade litterära verk utan upphovsmannens tillstånd för att garantera utbildning i en krissituation

Radivojevic, Milica LU (2020) JURM02 20202
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 in the beginning of 2020 has led to states imposing restrictions that cause many schools and libraries to close. Despite the lockdown, it has been possible for schools in Sweden to continue their lectures digitally. However, there are copyright issues to address in the transition to digital teaching because of the right holder's exclusive rights to his or her works. The objective of this thesis is to investigate and analyse how literary works protected by copyright can be used without the permission of the right holder in an emergency situation to address human rights. The thesis will focus on the right to education. The objective is also to investigate whether there are grounds to create a restriction that... (More)
The outbreak of COVID-19 in the beginning of 2020 has led to states imposing restrictions that cause many schools and libraries to close. Despite the lockdown, it has been possible for schools in Sweden to continue their lectures digitally. However, there are copyright issues to address in the transition to digital teaching because of the right holder's exclusive rights to his or her works. The objective of this thesis is to investigate and analyse how literary works protected by copyright can be used without the permission of the right holder in an emergency situation to address human rights. The thesis will focus on the right to education. The objective is also to investigate whether there are grounds to create a restriction that promotes this right or an equivalent to the compulsory license known from the Swedish patent law.

This thesis looks into how the right to education can be promoted in Sweden. The investigation is primarily carried out by examining law texts as well as preparatory works and comments to international and regional laws to determine the applicable law in this case. The material dealt with in this thesis has been used to investigate whether immaterial rights constitutes a human right. Furthermore, this thesis looks into the issues arising when the right holder's exclusive rights hinder students from copying educational material. Finally, the possibilities in Swedish law for promoting the right to education have been assessed.

To summarize, the thesis concludes that it remains unclear if immaterial rights can constitute a human right. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights determines that immaterial rights cannot be put on an equal footing with other human rights. However, both the European Union and the Charter on Fundamental Rights apply immaterial rights as a human right in practice. Furthermore, the thesis identifies a genuine conflict between the right to education and immaterial rights. In an emergency which causes the total shut-down of a society, the right to education cannot be sustained. In order to address this, a restriction on copyright can be made only if it is not possible to supply teaching materials in other ways and if the right holder is compensated for the use of his works. The restriction could be imposed according to article 5 of the Infosoc-directive and could be carried out as a compulsory license. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Smittspridningen av viruset COVID-19 i början av år 2020 innebar att stater blev tvungna till att vidta restriktioner som lett till stängning av många skolor och bibliotek. Trots nedstängning, har skolor i Sverige kunnat fortsätta undervisningar digitalt. Det finns dock upphovsrättsliga utmaningar med digitala undervisningar, med anledning av upphovsmannens ensamrätt. Syftet med uppsatsen är att utreda och analysera om upphovsrättsligt skyddade litterära verk kan utnyttjas utan tillstånd från upprättshavare i en krissituation för att tillgodose mänskliga rättigheten, rätten till utbildning. Syftet är också att undersöka om det går att införa en inskränkning eller en motsvarighet till det patensrättsliga tvångslicenssystemet i... (More)
Smittspridningen av viruset COVID-19 i början av år 2020 innebar att stater blev tvungna till att vidta restriktioner som lett till stängning av många skolor och bibliotek. Trots nedstängning, har skolor i Sverige kunnat fortsätta undervisningar digitalt. Det finns dock upphovsrättsliga utmaningar med digitala undervisningar, med anledning av upphovsmannens ensamrätt. Syftet med uppsatsen är att utreda och analysera om upphovsrättsligt skyddade litterära verk kan utnyttjas utan tillstånd från upprättshavare i en krissituation för att tillgodose mänskliga rättigheten, rätten till utbildning. Syftet är också att undersöka om det går att införa en inskränkning eller en motsvarighet till det patensrättsliga tvångslicenssystemet i upphovsrättslagen för att tillgodose rättigheten.

Denna utredning undersöker hur rättigheten kan tillgodoses i Sverige. Utredningen har främst bestått av granskning av lagtext och förarbeten samt kommentarer till internationell och regional lagstiftning för att utröna gällande rätt. Det behandlade materialet har använts för att undersöka huruvida immaterialrätt utgör en mänsklig rättighet. Därefter undersöks hur ensamrätten kan hindra studerande från att kopiera undervisningsmaterial och hur det kan påverka Sveriges åtagande att leva upp till rätten till utbildning. Slutligen har inskränkningsmöjligheterna i svensk rätt undersökts för att tillgodose rättigheten.

Sammanfattningsvis kan sägas att utredningen kommer fram till att det är osäkert om immaterialrätt utgör en mänsklig rättighet. Kommittén för ekonomiska, sociala och kulturella rättigheter säger att immaterialrätt inte kan likställas med mänskliga rättigheter. Däremot tillämpar både Europeiska unionen och Europakonventionen immaterialrätt som en mänsklig rättighet i praxis. Vidare konstateras att det föreligger ett reellt problem mellan rätten till utbildning och immaterialrätt. Vid en krissituation som innebär att ett helt samhälle stängs ner, kan inte rätten till utbildning tillgodoses. En inskränkning kan då endast göras gällande om det inte går att tillgodose undervisningsmaterial på ett annat sätt och om upphovsmannen får betalt för utnyttjandet. En inskränkning torde kunna regleras enligt artikel 5 Infosocdirektivet och skulle kunna utformas som en tvångslicens. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Radivojevic, Milica LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Copyright compulsory licenses in crises - A study on the conditions to exploit protected literary works without the permission of the right holder to guarantee education in emergency situations
course
JURM02 20202
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
intellectual property rights, right to education, rätten till utbildning, immaterialrätt, upphovsrätt
language
Swedish
id
9034704
date added to LUP
2021-01-30 14:08:11
date last changed
2021-01-30 14:08:11
@misc{9034704,
  abstract     = {{The outbreak of COVID-19 in the beginning of 2020 has led to states imposing restrictions that cause many schools and libraries to close. Despite the lockdown, it has been possible for schools in Sweden to continue their lectures digitally. However, there are copyright issues to address in the transition to digital teaching because of the right holder's exclusive rights to his or her works. The objective of this thesis is to investigate and analyse how literary works protected by copyright can be used without the permission of the right holder in an emergency situation to address human rights. The thesis will focus on the right to education. The objective is also to investigate whether there are grounds to create a restriction that promotes this right or an equivalent to the compulsory license known from the Swedish patent law.

This thesis looks into how the right to education can be promoted in Sweden. The investigation is primarily carried out by examining law texts as well as preparatory works and comments to international and regional laws to determine the applicable law in this case. The material dealt with in this thesis has been used to investigate whether immaterial rights constitutes a human right. Furthermore, this thesis looks into the issues arising when the right holder's exclusive rights hinder students from copying educational material. Finally, the possibilities in Swedish law for promoting the right to education have been assessed.

To summarize, the thesis concludes that it remains unclear if immaterial rights can constitute a human right. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights determines that immaterial rights cannot be put on an equal footing with other human rights. However, both the European Union and the Charter on Fundamental Rights apply immaterial rights as a human right in practice. Furthermore, the thesis identifies a genuine conflict between the right to education and immaterial rights. In an emergency which causes the total shut-down of a society, the right to education cannot be sustained. In order to address this, a restriction on copyright can be made only if it is not possible to supply teaching materials in other ways and if the right holder is compensated for the use of his works. The restriction could be imposed according to article 5 of the Infosoc-directive and could be carried out as a compulsory license.}},
  author       = {{Radivojevic, Milica}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Upphovsrättslig tvångslicens i kris - En studie om förutsättningarna för att utnyttja skyddade litterära verk utan upphovsmannens tillstånd för att garantera utbildning i en krissituation}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}