Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000

Chapter 6

Offences: Performances

Offences.

258.—(1) A person who, without the consent of the rightsowner—

(a) makes for sale, rental or loan,

(b) sells, rents or lends, or offers or exposes for sale, rental or loan,

(c) imports into the State, otherwise than for his or her private and domestic use,

(d) in the course of a business, trade or profession, has in his or her possession, custody or control, or makes available to the public, or

(e) otherwise than in the course of a business, trade or profession, makes available to the public to such an extent as to prejudice the interests of the rightsowner,

a recording which is, and which he or she knows or has reason to believe is, an illicit recording, shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) A person who—

(a) makes,

(b) sells, rents or lends, or offers or exposes for sale, rental or loan,

(c) imports into the State, or

(d) has in his or her possession, custody or control,

an article specifically designed or adapted for making recordings of a performance, knowing or having reason to believe that it has been or is to be used to make illicit recordings, shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) A person who—

(a)  (i) makes,

(ii) sells, rents or lends, or offers or exposes for sale, rental or loan,

(iii) imports into the State, or

(iv) has in his or her possession, custody or control,

a protection-defeating device, knowing or having reason to believe that it has been or is to be used to circumvent rights protection measures, or

(b) provides information, or offers or performs any service intended to enable or assist persons to circumvent rights protection measures,

shall be guilty of an offence.

(4) Where the rights conferred by this Part are infringed—

(a) by the playing or showing in public of a recording of a performance, or

(b) by the broadcasting or inclusion in a cable programme service of a performance or a recording of a performance,

the person who caused the recording of the performance to be shown or played, or the performance or the recording of the performance to be broadcast or included in a cable programme service, shall be guilty of an offence where he or she knew or had reason to believe that the rights conferred by this Part would be infringed.

(5) An offence shall not be committed under subsection (1) or (4) by the undertaking of an act which under this Part may be undertaken without infringing the rights conferred by this Part.

(6) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (1), (2) or (3) shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £1,500 in respect of each illicit recording, article or device, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding £100,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.

(7) A person guilty of an offence under subsection (4) shall be liable—

(a) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding £1,500 in respect of each offence, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or both, or

(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding £100,000, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or both.