Copyright rules in Norway

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

What are the main sources of copyright law in Norway?

The main source of copyright legislation in Norway is the Copyright Act of 1961, as later amended.

In addition to the wording of the Act, case law and the Ministry’s preparatory work in respect of the Act and amendments thereto are also relevant sources when interpreting the law.

A proposal for a new Copyright Act was presented to the public in March 2016 and has been subject to extensive hearings and much debate. The purpose of the proposal was to modernise the legislation, but the Ministry has also proposed certain changes to the Act with the aim of strengthening the protection of the rights holders. A new Copyright Act may be expected in 2018 (see section 7 below).

As a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), Norway is part of the EU internal market with respect to copyright issues. The EU Directives and Regulations relating to copyright are thus implemented (through the EEA Agreement) in Norwegian law. European Union legislation and jurisprudence from the European Court of Justice are therefore relevant sources of law in respect of the interpretation and application of Norwegian legislation. Norwegian courts can refer questions of law relating to the interpretation of EU/EEA copyright legislation to the EFTA Court.

To find out more about subsistence of copyright, ownership, infringement, remedies, enforcement and copyright reform in Norway, download the full chapter below.