Commons:Copyright rules by territory/Georgia

This page provides an overview of copyright rules of Georgia relevant to uploading works into Wikimedia Commons. Note that any work originating in Georgia must be in the public domain, or available under a free license, in both Georgia 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 Georgia, refer to the relevant laws for clarification.

Background

Georgia was absorbed by the Russian Empire during the 19th century. After the Russian Revolution Georgia was briefly independent, then was part of the Transcaucasian Federation, a member of the Soviet Union. In 1936 Georgia became a republic of the Soviet Union. In April 1991 Georgia became fully independent of the Soviet Union. In 1992-93 Abkhasia, in the west, gained de-facto independence under the protection of Russia. In 2008 South Ossetia also gained de-facto independence under the protection of Russia. The breakaway regions have not gained international recognition.

Georgia has been a member of the Berne Convention since 16 May 1995, the World Trade Organization since 14 June 2000 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 of Georgia No. 2112-IIS of June 22, 1999, on Copyright and Neighboring Rights (as amended up to Law No. 1917 of December 23, 2017) as the main copyright law enacted by the legislature of Georgia.[1] WIPO holds the text of this law in their WIPO Lex database.[2] Works whose protection had expired when the 1999 law came into force did not gain renewed protection, but works that were still protected would continue to be protected under the terms of the new law.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 67]

General rules

The Law on Copyright and Neighboring Rights as of 2017 says,

  • Copyright shall commence upon creation of a work and shall run for the life of the author and for 70 years after his/her death, except for the cases provided for by Article 32 of this Law.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 31.1]
  • If a work is published anonymously or under a pseudonym, copyright lasts for 70 years from year of publication unless the author reveals themself or there is no doubt about who they are, in which case it lasts for 70 years after their year of death.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 32.1]
  • Copyright of a work with co-authors belongs to all the authors, even if the work is divisible, and lasts for 70 years after the year of death of the last surviving author.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 32.2]
  • Copyright in composite and derivative works shall run for 70 years from the time when the works were lawfully published or made available to the public, and if a work has not been published or made available to the public - from the date of its creation.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 32.4]
  • The author of a compiled work (collective work) such as an encyclopedia, periodical or newspaper holds copyright in that work, but unless provided otherwise by contract the individual authors have the right to use their contributions independently and in other compiled works.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 14]
  • Copyright in an audiovisual work shall run for 70 years after the death of the last of the surviving authors (co-authors).[2112-IIS/2017 Article 32.5] With audiovisual works the producer, director and authors of script, dialog and music are considered co-authors.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 15]
  • Calculation of the terms prescribed by Articles 31 and 32 shall commence from January 1 of the year following the year in which the legal event, serving as a basis for commencing the running of the above-mentioned terms, has occurred.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 31.2]

Not protected

Shortcut

See also: Commons:Unprotected works

Under the Copyright Laws as of 2017, "The following shall not be protected by copyright: a) official documents (legislative acts, court decisions, other texts of administrative and regulatory nature), as well as their official translations; b) official state symbols (flags, coats-of-arms, anthems, rewards, banknotes, other state symbols and insignia); c) information about facts and events".[2112-IIS/2017 Article 8]

See also: Commons:Copyright tags

  • {{PD-GE-exempt}} – for official documents (laws, decisions of courts, other texts of administrative and normative character), as well as their official translations; official symbols of state (flag, emblem, anthem, award, monetary symbols, other official signs and symbols of state); information of events and facts.
  • {{PD-Georgia}} – for works first published in Georgia and now in the public domain because a copyright protection has expired by virtue of the Law of Georgia on Copyright and Neighboring Rights.

Currency

See also: Commons:Currency

  OK Georgian currency is not copyrighted. Monetary items, together with other state symbols, are explicitly excluded from copyright by article 8 of Copyright law of Georgia.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 8]

Please use {{PD-GE-exempt}} for Georgian currency images.

Freedom of panorama

See also: Commons:Freedom of panorama

  Not OK Images cannot be used if a protected work is the main subject or it is used for commercial purposes.

It shall be permitted to reproduce or communicate to the public without the consent of the author or other copyright holder and without remuneration thereof images of works of architecture, photography, and fine arts permanently displayed in public places, except for the cases when the image of a work is the main object for such reproduction or communication to the public, or is used for commercial purposes.[2112-IIS/2017 Article 24]

Stamps

See also: Commons:Stamps

  use {{PD-GE-exempt}}.

See also

Citations

  1. a b Georgia Copyright and Related Rights (Neighboring Rights). WIPO: World Intellectual Property Organization (2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-08.
  2. Law of Georgia No. 2112-IIS of June 22, 1999, on Copyright and Neighboring Rights (as amended up to Law No. 1917 of December 23, 2017). Georgia (2017). Retrieved on 2018-11-08.
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