Commons:Copyright rules by territory/Moldova

From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Other languages:
Deutsch • ‎English • ‎Esperanto • ‎français • ‎occitan • ‎polski • ‎suomi • ‎македонски • ‎русский • ‎українська • ‎中文

This page provides an overview of copyright rules of Moldova relevant to uploading works into Wikimedia Commons. Note that any work originating in Moldova must be in the public domain, or available under a free license, in both Moldova and the United States before it can be uploaded to Wikimedia Commons. If there is any doubt about the copyright status of a work from Moldova, refer to the relevant laws for clarification.

Background

The eastern part of the Principality of Moldavia, known as Bessarabia, was ceded to the Russian Empire by the Ottoman Empire in 1812. After the Russian Revolution, the territory was recovered by Romania. In 1940, Bessarabia was captured by the USSR and split into the Ukrainian SSR and the newly formed Moldavian SSR within the Soviet Union. In 1990 the territory on the east of the Dneister river unilaterally broke away as Transnistria. Moldova declared independence on 27 August 1991.

Moldova has been a member of the Berne Convention since 2 November 1995, and the World Trade Organization since 26 July 2001 and the WIPO Copyright Treaty since 6 March 2002.[1]

As of 2018 the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), an agency of the United Nations, listed Law No. 139 of July 2, 2010, on Copyright and Neighboring Rights (as amended by Law No. 212 of July 29, 2016) as the main copyright law enacted by the legislature of Moldova.[1] WIPO holds the text of this law in their WIPO Lex database.[2] The 2010 law superseded the Law on Copyright and Related Rights No.293-XIII of 23.11.1994.[139/2010-16 Art.69] The law was retroactive: the provisions of Article 23 (Durations) of the 2010 Law also apply to works whose term of protection calculated according to the provisions previously in force had expired.[139/2010-16 Art.70]

General rules

Under the former Moldova Law. Art. 17. (Law no. 1268-XV), a file first published in the USSR of Moldova was in the public domain if it met either of the following conditions:

  • It is a photographic or cinematographic work and fifty years have passed since the year of its production.
  • It is another type of work and fifty years have passed since the year of the creator's (if known) death.

Under Law No. 139 of 2010 as amended in 2016,

  • The economic rights in relation to works other than works of applied art are protected for the life of the author and for 70 years after his death, computed from 1 January of the year following that of his death, unless otherwise provided below.[139/2010-16 Art.23(1)]
  • Copyright in audiovisual works is protected for 70 years from 1 January of the year following that of the death of the last surviving joint author: a) the principle director; b) the author of the scenario (the scriptwriter); c) the author of the dialogue; d) the composer – the author of the musical work (with or without words) created specifically for such audiovisual work.[139/2010-16 Art.23(2)]
  • The term of protection of a musical composition with words expire 70 years after the death of the last to survive of the author of the lyrics and the composer of the musical composition, provided that both were specifically created for the respective musical composition with words.[139/2010-16 Art.23(2')]
  • Copyright in anonymous or pseudonymous works, except for works of applied art, is protected for 70 years from 1 January of the year following that of the legal publishing of the work. If the author of an anonymous or pseudonymous work reveals his identity or if it becomes evident during that period, the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) apply.[139/2010-16 Art.23(3)]
  • Copyright in works of joint authorship, except for works of applied art, are protected for the life of each joint author and for 70 years from 1 January of the year following that of the death of the last surviving joint author.[139/2010-16 Art.23(4)]
  • For the term of copyright in collective works provisions of paragraphs (1) and (3) of the present Article apply.[139/2010-16 Art.23(5)]
  • Copyright in works of applied art is protected for 25 years from its creation, except the industrial designs and models unregistered in compliance with the Law on the protection of the industrial designs and models, created for industrial purposes of reproduction and subject to a 3-year protection from creation.[139/2010-16 Art.23(7)]

Not protected

Under Law No. 139 of 2010 as amended in 2016, copyright protection does not extend to:[139/2010-16 Art.8]

  • legal acts, other administrative, political or judicial acts (laws, court decisions), or to the official translations thereof;
  • state emblems and official signs (flags, armorial bearings, decorations, monetary signs, etc.);
  • folklore expressions;
  • daily news and facts of simple informational nature.

Copyright tags

Shortcut
COM:TAG Moldova

See also: Commons:Copyright tags

  • {{PD-MD-exempt}} – for official documents (laws, court decisions, etc.) or to the official translations thereof, state emblems and official signs (flags, armorial bearings, decorations, monetary signs, etc.), folklore expressions, daily news and facts of simple informational nature.
  • {{PD-Moldova}} – Moldovan or Soviet work first published in USSR or Moldova and in the public domain because its copyright has expired: photographic or cinematographic work and fifty years have passed since the year of its production, or another type of work and fifty years have passed since the year of the creator's death.

Currency

See also: Commons:Currency

OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg OK Moldova currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 8 of Law on Copyright and Related Rights of Moldova.

Please use {{PD-MD-exempt}} for Moldova currency images.

Freedom of panorama

See also: Commons:Freedom of panorama

Under Law No. 139 of 2010 as amended in 2016,

  • It shall be permitted without the consent of the author or other holder of copyright and without payment of remuneration ... use of works, such as works of architecture or sculpture, made to be located permanently in public places;[139/2010-16 Art.28(k)]

Prior to July 2010, there were commercial restrictions on such works similar to those of the Soviet Union, but an amendment removed that restriction. Article 26 of the cited law defines exceptions of the commercial restrictions, and reproduction of a work of architecture in the form of a building or similar construction is such an exception.

Free reproduction of artistic works (including commercial purposes) is:

  • OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg OK for buildings or similar constructions; per article 26(2)(a)
  • OOjs UI icon check-constructive.svg OK for sculptures made to be located permanently in public places; per article 28(k)
  • OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg Not OK for sculptures not made to be located permanently in public places
  • OOjs UI icon close-ltr-destructive.svg Not OK for paintings, drawings, engravings or photographs.

Please use {{FoP-Moldova}} to tag images from Moldova which meet Freedom of Panorama conditions.

Stamps

See also: Commons:Stamps

Public domain use {{PD-MD-exempt}}.

According to the law on Copyright of the Republic of Moldova no. 293-XIII of 23 November 1994 (Amended by Law no. 1268-XV, of 25 July 2002) Article 7. refers to "State emblems and official signs (flags, armorial bearings, decorations, monetary signs, etc.)" as Works Not Protected by Copyright; therefore images of stamps are deemed to be in the public domain.

See also

Citations

  1. a b Republic of Moldova Copyright and Related Rights (Neighboring Rights). WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization (2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-03.
  2. Law No. 139 of July 2, 2010, on Copyright and Neighboring Rights (as amended by Law No. 212 of July 29, 2016). Moldova (2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-03.
Caution: The above description may be inaccurate, incomplete and/or out of date, so must be treated with caution. Before you upload a file to Wikimedia Commons you should ensure it may be used freely. See also: Commons:General disclaimer