If your work of art is protected by copyright, you as the author are entitled to two different types of property rights:

  • Moral rights: these protect your intellectual interests as the author of your work of art;
  • Exploitation rights: these protect your economic interests and enable you to exploit your art, not least because you, as the author, can exclude others from using your works. Exploitation rights are also called exclusive rights or rights of use.
    • In addition to exploitation rights, there are also remuneration claims. These guarantee that you will receive remuneration in certain cases if the use cannot be prohibited.

If your work of art is not protected by copyright—for example, because it does not fulfil the criteria in the definition in Section 1 UrhG—it may be protected by ancillary copyright. Ancillary copyrights protect artistic productions that are not protected by copyright (e.g. an everyday photo, the artistic performance of singers). Some—but not all—of the rights enjoyed by authors are also granted to ancillary copyright holders. See the subchapter on ancillary copyrights.

In the following chapters, you will find information on the following topics:

  • Moral rights
  • Personal rights
  • Exploitation rights
  • Remuneration claims
  • Ancillary copyrights

The personal protection of authors: moral rights

Rights to the commercial exploitation of art: exploitation rights

Exceptions to exploitation rights (free use of works)

Mere remuneration claims

Ancillary copyrights