Copyright considerations for libraries

Abstract

A codification committee has been established for the preparation of the new Copyright Act re-placíng that of 1969 in Hungary. In the committee the librarians' profession has alsó been repre-sented. During the preparation of the new Act, international commitments, challenges set by technological development, changed economical and social situation and the enforcement system of copyright have to be taken intő consideration. The most important consequences in iibraries of the adopted Act LXXVI of 1999 are discussed, includ-ing authors' pecuniary rights, right of multiplication, royalty of reprography as a novelty, cases of free use, the freedom of copy preparation and the right of distribution. The interrelations of the library as-pects of the Act CXL of 1997 on the protection of cultural properties and on museum institutions, on the public library supply and public culture and education on one hand, and the new Act on the other are pointed out, with special regard to lend-ing and circulation of library properties. Finally, the enforcement of copyright under the Internet condi-tions are discussed briefly.