Copyright and Related Rights Act, 2000

Chapter 19

Government and Oireachtas Copyright

Government copyright.

191.—(1) Where a work is made by an officer or employee of the Government or of the State, in the course of his or her duties, the work qualifies for copyright protection notwithstanding the provisions relating to the requirements as to qualification for copyright protection specified in section 182 .

(2) The Government shall be the first owner of the copyright in a work to which subsection (1) applies.

(3) The copyright in a work to which subsection (1) applies shall be known and in this Act referred to as “Government copyright”, notwithstanding that the copyright may be, or may have been, assigned to another person.

(4) Government copyright in a work shall expire 50 years from the end of the calendar year in which the work was made.

(5) In the case of a work of joint authorship where one or more but not all of the authors is a person to whom subsection (1) applies, this section applies in relation to those persons and the copyright subsisting by virtue of their contribution to the work.

(6) Subject to subsections (1) to (5), this Part applies in relation to Government copyright as to other copyright.

(7) Where Oireachtas copyright subsists in a work this section shall not apply.