Libraries and Digital Copyright

ECJ     C - 117/13

The Europan Court of Justice had to decide whether a University library was entitled to make a book available in digital form on terminals especially set up for reading and allow the reader to make print outs as well as store the book file on a USB stick.

The Court held that it was in line with the EU Directive on copyright in the information society (2001/29/EC) to allow a library to make books available to its readers in digital form for education and research purposes. Libraries could not fulfil their purpose in a digital society without such right.

Letting readers print out a book or store the book file on an USB stick on the other hand is seen as not necessary for the libraries to perform their role in education and science. It would therefore only be allowed to grant to readers such rights to copy a book if it remunerates the copyright holder of the book accordingly.