Swedish Copyright Law Change Set to Take Effect

摘要

A new Swedish law set to take effect in October will bring the nation into line with an international treaty lifting copyright restrictions on printed materials to help the visually impaired. The law, which follows two European Union laws, allows entities in Sweden to transmit copyrighted digital material for the visually impaired across the European Economic Area (EEA) and other nations that have signed the Marrakesh Treaty, including the U.S. The EEA includes the EU bloc, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The right to transmit electronic copies of adapted material to other EEA nations will apply regardless if other nations delay adopting the treaty before the Swedish law takes effect Oct. 11, Mikael Hjort, an advisor at Sweden's Justice Ministry, told Bloomberg Law July 19. The new law presumes all nations are in compliance, he said. The Swedish parliament approved the law June 7. All EU member nations are required to implement the two EU laws by Oct. 11.