The Audiovisual Works as Digital Library Content: Storage and Exploitation

Abstract

The digital reproduction and transmission of audiovisual works seems to be the next stage of dissemination and commercial exploitation of protected works, following musical works. Additionally, the latest major novelty of the information society is the creation of digital libraries, for profit or not, at national and international level. The inclusion of audiovisual works in digital libraries and their resulting exploitation raise a number of legal issues. This chapter aims to review the economic rights involved in the process of digital exploitation as well as the delimitation of the safeguarding of the moral rights, which the libraries are bound to observe. Such review examines both continental and common law jurisdictions. It does not, however, address issues related to the off-line exploitation of audiovisual works or their further use by the user of the digital library services.