Theory and practice of intellectual property
№ 1 / 2025

ISSN (Print) 2308-0361
ISSN (Online) 2519-2744

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33731/12025.324974

Submitted     2025-02-07
Accepted      2025-02-14
Published      2025-03-18

Main trends in the development of copyright in the European Union

Valentyna Trotska
Ph.D. (Law), Head of the sector of the Disposal of copyright and related rights of the Copyright and Related Rights Department of the Intellectual Property Scientific Research Institute of the National Academy of Legal Sciences of Ukraine
Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7579-1877

Abstract
The article examines the current state and main trends in the development of EU copyright protection. Over the past decades, the EU has strengthened its copyright protection compared to the standards set out in the international copyright treaties.  This level was achieved due to the dynamic development of national legislation in the EU Member States, as well as the adoption of the EU Copyright Directives.

The article identifies the factors that influenced the formation of the EU legislation: the development of information technology and the Internet; the desire to build an internal market by creating conditions for the development of copyright-based industries; the desire to overcome trans-territorial restrictions; and the creation of a competitive economy in the EU Member states.

At the same time, the author points out the shortcomings of the EU legislation formation: fragmentation, some spontaneity in the choice of models of the legal regulation of the relations, and sometimes the right to choose the methods and forms of taking into account the provisions of the EU Directives by EU Member States.

The author notes that the EU legislation strengthening EU copyright protection requires further improvement by ensuring a fair and effective balance of public and private interests.

The issue of territoriality of the copyright legislation, which has become particularly relevant with the development of the digital environment, needs to be addressed.

The author analyses the possibility of introducing a unified copyright law for all EU Member States by systematising  the EU legislation and adopting the EU Regulations.

Currently, there are issues that have not yet been resolved, and with the development of the digital environment, new challenges arise that require an appropriate legal response. In particular, this concerns the regulation of the relations related to the development of artificial intelligence.

Based on the analysis of the EU legislation and the identified problematic issues, the author identifies the main directions for the further development of the EU legislation to achieve the goals of building an internal market, overcoming the trans-territorial restrictions caused by the development of the digital environment, and ensuring the effective balance of public and private interests.

Keywords: copyright, European Union law, digital environment, Internet

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