Cyprus

[CY] Act on the Protection of the Commercial Exploitation of Cinematographic Works of 1990

IRIS 1995-1:1/47

Christophoros Christophorou

Council of Europe expert in Media and Elections

Τhe Act on the protection of the commercial exploitation of cinematographic works No. 159/1990 aims at protecting the cinematographic industry from commercial exploitation of cinema films for private use. It provides that cinema works cannot be copied and sold for private use unless specific time has elapsed since their production. In order for a cinematographic work to be protected, a number of requirements shall be met: (a) The work is destined for screening in cinema halls, (b) an application by a film distributor must be deposited with the Minister of the Interior and (c) the time elapsed since the completion of production work is inferior to two years. Under the provisions of the act, the Interior Minister publishes in the Official Gazette a yearly list of new films to be protected. Following this publication, none of these cinematographic works can be owned, exposed for sale, sold or rent for private use for a period of twelve months starting on the day the list is published. Any person found guilty for violating the law may be fined by the court and copies of the film may be seized.