Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000

Material open to public inspection or on statutory register.

240.—(1) Without prejudice to the generality of section 239 , where material is open to public inspection pursuant to a statutory requirement, or is on a statutory register, the rights conferred by this Part are not infringed by the copying, for a purpose which does not involve the making available to the public of copies, of so much of the material as contains factual information of any description, by or with the authority of the person required to make the material open to public inspection or, by or on the authority of the person maintaining the register.

(2) Where material is open to public inspection pursuant to a statutory requirement, or is on a statutory register, the rights conferred by this Part are not infringed by the copying or making available to the public of copies of that material, for the purpose of enabling the material to be inspected at another time or place, or otherwise facilitating the exercise of any right for the purpose of which the requirement is imposed, by or with the authority of the person required to make the material open to public inspection or, as the case may be, the person maintaining the register.

(3) Where a recording of a performance is made available to the public under this section the person granting access to the material shall ensure that it bears a mark clearly indicating that it is provided for the purpose of inspection and that no other use of the material may be made without the consent of the person entitled to authorise such use.

(4) Material may not be provided under this section unless the person granting access to the material has first obtained from the person requesting the material a declaration, in such form as may be prescribed, indicating that the material is required for the sole purpose of enabling the material to be inspected at another time or place or to otherwise facilitate the exercise of the right of public inspection.

(5) Where material which is open to public inspection pursuant to a statutory requirement, or is on a statutory register, contains information about matters of general, scientific, technical, commercial or economic interest, the rights conferred by this Part are not infringed by the copying or making available to the public of copies of that material for the purpose of disseminating that information, by or with the authority of the person required to make the material open to public inspection or, as the case may be, the person maintaining the register.

(6) The Minister may prescribe the conditions which are to be complied with before material is made available to the public under this section.

(7) The Minister may by order provide that subsections (1) to (5) apply—

(a) to material made open to public inspection by—

(i) an international organisation specified in the order, or

(ii) a person specified in the order who has functions in the State under an international agreement to which the State is party,

or

(b) to a register maintained by an international organisation specified in the order,

as they apply in relation to material open to public inspection pursuant to a statutory requirement, or on a statutory register.