Copyright rules in Denmark

Get to grips with the framework of copyright law in Denmark with the 2018 TerraLex Cross-Border Copyright Guide.

What are the main sources of copyright law in Denmark?

The main source of copyright legislation in Denmark is the Consolidated Danish Act on Copyright, no. 1144 of 23 October 2014 (DCA). The current version of the DCA is also applied to works created before the DCA came into force. However, if a work would enjoy a longer duration of protection under the rules applicable at the time when the work was created, the former rules apply with respect to the duration of protection.  

Although Denmark is not a common law legal system, case law is still used to interpret and set precedents in law. As a result, judicial decisions contribute to the sources of copyright law in Denmark.   

As Denmark is a member of the European Union, the interpretation and application of Danish legislation by the judiciary must be read in accordance with European Directives and Regulations which have direct effect. Further, from time to time the Danish courts and other EU national courts refer questions of law to the European Court of Justice, whose decisions are binding on national courts. As a result, Danish copyright law is occasionally added to and updated from both internal and external sources.

To find out more about subsistence of copyright, ownership, infringement, remedies, enforcement and copyright reform in Denmark, download the 2018 TerraLex Cross-Border Copyright Guide.