Selected year snapshot
For 1993, the active event in this file is Loi n° 92-597 du 1er juillet 1992 relative au code de la propriété intellectuelle (partie législative).
60%
Current rationale
The Loi n° 92-597 codified existing French copyright law into the Code de la propriété intellectuelle (CPI). The substantive exceptions from the 1957/1985 law were carried over into Art. L. 122-5 CPI without material change to the research-relevant provisions. Art. L. 122-5(2°) continues the private-copy exception (full-work reproduction for private use of the copier, not for collective use). Art. L. 122-5(3°)(a) continues the short-quotation exception. The classification remains LIGHT BLUE: full-work reproduction is permitted but only for private use of the individual copier; no sharing/communication is authorized; the exception covers essentially all types of works (with the minor art-copy exclusion). This codification applied to French Guiana as a DOM.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use
Analyses and short quotations justified by critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character
Law changes
Loi n° 57-298 du 11 mars 1957 sur la propriété littéraire et artistique (as amended by Loi n° 85-660 du 3 juillet 1985)
Baseline · Effective 1985-07-03
60%
Relevant section: Art. 41, Art. 41-2 (Loi du 11 mars 1957)
Dates: Effective 1985-07-03 · Enacted 1985-07-03
Why this score
French Guiana is an overseas department (département d'outre-mer) of France. French copyright law applies directly. On 1990-01-01, the applicable copyright law was the Loi du 11 mars 1957 as amended by the Loi n° 85-660 du 3 juillet 1985. The most research-relevant exceptions were: (1) Art. 41(2) – private copying ('copies ou reproductions strictement réservées à l'usage privé du copiste et non destinées à une utilisation collective'), which permits reproduction of full works for private use by the individual copier, covering research done privately; (2) Art. 41(3)(a) – short quotations for scientific/educational purposes, which is limited to excerpts (RED individually). The private-use exception (Art. 41(2)) is the most permissive: it covers reproduction of full works but is restricted to the private use of the individual copier and does not authorize sharing or communication. It also excludes copies of works of art intended for the same purpose as the original. This maps to LIGHT BLUE (full-work reproduction, restricted to private/personal use, no sharing). The exclusion of certain art copies is a minor carve-out but the exception otherwise covers all types of works for private copying. Non-commercial restriction and copy-limit factors are classification-neutral. I was unable to retrieve the exact French verbatim text of Art. 41 of the 1957 law as in force on 1990-01-01 via web search; the WIPO English translation of the 1985 amending law was the closest verified source.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use, excluding copies of works of art for identical purposes as the original
Short quotations justified by critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character of the incorporating work
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: Article 41 – When the work has been disclosed, the author may not prohibit: ... 2° Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use, with the exception of copies of works of art to be used for purposes identical with those for which the original work was created ... 3° Subject to the condition that the name of the author and the source are clearly indicated: (a) Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character of the work in which they are incorporated ...
Source links
Loi n° 92-597 du 1er juillet 1992 relative au code de la propriété intellectuelle (partie législative)
Relevant update · Effective 1992-07-03
60%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5 (Code de la propriété intellectuelle)
Dates: Effective 1992-07-03 · Enacted 1992-07-01
Why this score
The Loi n° 92-597 codified existing French copyright law into the Code de la propriété intellectuelle (CPI). The substantive exceptions from the 1957/1985 law were carried over into Art. L. 122-5 CPI without material change to the research-relevant provisions. Art. L. 122-5(2°) continues the private-copy exception (full-work reproduction for private use of the copier, not for collective use). Art. L. 122-5(3°)(a) continues the short-quotation exception. The classification remains LIGHT BLUE: full-work reproduction is permitted but only for private use of the individual copier; no sharing/communication is authorized; the exception covers essentially all types of works (with the minor art-copy exclusion). This codification applied to French Guiana as a DOM.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use
Analyses and short quotations justified by critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: Article L. 122-5 – When the work has been disclosed, the author may not prohibit: 1° Private and gratuitous performances carried out exclusively within the family circle; 2° Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use, with the exception of copies of works of art intended to be used for purposes identical with those for which the original work was created ... 3° Subject to the condition that the name of the author and the source are clearly indicated: (a) Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character of the work in which they are incorporated ...
Source links
Loi n° 2006-961 du 1er août 2006 relative au droit d'auteur et aux droits voisins dans la société de l'information (DADVSI)
Relevant update · Effective 2006-08-04
60%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5(3°)(e), Art. L. 122-5(2°), Art. L. 122-5(3°)(a) (Code de la propriété intellectuelle, as amended)
Dates: Effective 2006-08-04 · Enacted 2006-08-01
Why this score
The DADVSI law (transposing EU Directive 2001/29/EC) amended Art. L. 122-5 CPI. It added a teaching/research exception (Art. L. 122-5(3°)(e) as renumbered) permitting representation or reproduction of 'extracts' of works for illustration for teaching and research, excluding works made for education, musical editions, and digital publications of written works. This teaching/research exception is limited to extracts (not full works) and excludes several categories of works, making it RED individually. The pre-existing private-copy exception (Art. L. 122-5(2°)) remains in force and continues to be the most permissive for research: it permits full-work reproduction for the private use of the copier. The DADVSI law also added a new paragraph to Art. L. 122-5 incorporating the three-step test as a limiting condition on all exceptions (not as an enabling clause). Classification remains LIGHT BLUE: the private-copy exception permits full-work reproduction but only for private/personal use; no sharing is authorized; the new teaching/research exception is narrower (extracts only). The three-step test clause does not expand the scope of exceptions.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use
Representation or reproduction of extracts of works for illustration for teaching and research, excluding works made for education, musical editions, and digital publications of written works
Analyses and short quotations justified by critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character
All exceptions subject to condition that they do not conflict with normal exploitation of the work and do not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the author
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: Article L. 122-5 – When the work has been disclosed, the author may not prohibit: ... 2° Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use ... 3° Subject to the condition that the name of the author and the source are clearly indicated: (a) Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character of the work in which they are incorporated; ... (e) The reproduction or representation, in whole or in part, of a work of graphic, plastic or architectural art, by way of written, audiovisual or online press, for the exclusive purpose of immediate information directly related to the said work ... [New exception added by DADVSI for teaching and research:] 3° ... The representation or reproduction of extracts of works, ... for the purpose of illustration for teaching and research ... excluding works designed for educational purposes, musical editions and digital publications of written works ...
Source links
Loi n° 2016-1321 du 7 octobre 2016 pour une République numérique
Relevant update · Effective 2016-10-09
60%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5(10°) (Code de la propriété intellectuelle, as amended)
Dates: Effective 2016-10-09 · Enacted 2016-10-07
Why this score
The Loi pour une République numérique added a TDM exception at Art. L. 122-5(10°) CPI. This exception permits copies/digital reproductions for TDM purposes but is restricted to: (a) works included in or associated with scientific publications, (b) public research needs, (c) non-commercial purposes, and (d) storage and communication of resulting files by designated organizations. While this exception does cover both reproduction and communication of technical files (not the works themselves), it is limited to public research entities and scientific publications. Individually this would be PURPLE (institutional restriction to public research). However, the pre-existing private-copy exception (Art. L. 122-5(2°)) remains in force and is still the most permissive for general research reproduction: it permits full-work reproduction for private use of any individual copier. Classification remains LIGHT BLUE overall. The TDM exception does not change the overall classification because it is narrower in user scope (public research only) than the private-copy exception, though it does add communication rights for TDM outputs specifically.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use
TDM exception: digital reproductions from lawful source for TDM in scientific publications, for public research needs, non-commercial, with storage/communication of technical files by designated organizations
Representation or reproduction of extracts of works for illustration for teaching and research
Analyses and short quotations justified by critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: Article L. 122-5(10°) – [The author may not prohibit:] Copies or digital reproductions made from a lawful source, for the purposes of text and data mining included in or associated with a scientific publication, for the needs of public research, excluding any commercial purpose. The storage and communication of the technical files produced at the conclusion of the text and data mining shall be ensured by designated organizations. The conditions of storage and communication shall be fixed by decree.
Ordonnance n° 2021-1518 du 24 novembre 2021 portant transposition de la directive (UE) 2019/790 du Parlement européen et du Conseil du 17 avril 2019 sur le droit d'auteur et les droits voisins dans le marché unique numérique
Relevant update · Effective 2021-11-26
80%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5-3 (Code de la propriété intellectuelle, as amended)
Dates: Effective 2021-11-26 · Enacted 2021-11-24
Why this score
With the transposition of the DSM Directive, Art. L. 122-5-3 CPI introduces a general TDM exception permitting reproductions and extractions of works by any person with lawful access, for TDM purposes. This covers full works, any user, but only reproduction/extraction (not communication/sharing). The opt-out for online works is a condition of exercise, not a categorical exclusion. This is more permissive than the private-copy exception (which restricts to private use of the copier). Art. L. 122-5-2 provides a non-overridable TDM exception for research organizations (PURPLE individually). The general TDM exception (Art. L. 122-5-3) determines the classification as BLUE: full-work reproduction for any user for TDM, but no sharing authorized. Classification-neutral factors (non-commercial restriction on Art. L. 122-5-2, storage provisions) were not factored into the color.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use
General TDM exception: reproductions and extractions for TDM by any person with lawful access, subject to opt-out by rights holders for online works
TDM exception for research organizations and cultural heritage institutions: reproductions and extractions for TDM for scientific research, not subject to contractual override
Representation or reproduction of extracts of works for illustration for teaching and research
Analyses and short quotations justified by critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: Article L. 122-5-3 – I. – Reproductions and extractions from works or other subject matter to which the person carrying out the mining has lawful access, for the purposes of text and data mining, shall be permitted. II. – The provisions of I shall not apply to reproductions and extractions of works or other subject matter made available online, where the rights holders have reserved the right of text and data mining in an appropriate manner, including by machine-readable means. III. – Copies made pursuant to I shall be stored with an appropriate level of security and may be retained for the purposes of scientific research, including for the verification of research results.
Code de la propriété intellectuelle (version consolidée en vigueur en 2025)
Current law confirmation · Effective 2021-11-26
80%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5(2°), Art. L. 122-5(3°)(a), Art. L. 122-5(3°)(e), Art. L. 122-5-2, Art. L. 122-5-3
Dates: Effective 2021-11-26
Why this score
As of 2025, the most permissive research-relevant exception in French copyright law (applicable to French Guiana as a DOM) is Art. L. 122-5-3 CPI – the general TDM exception. It permits reproductions and extractions of full works by any user with lawful access for TDM purposes. It does not authorize communication or sharing of the copies (only storage for verification of research results). The opt-out mechanism for online works is a condition of exercise. This maps to BLUE: full-work reproduction, any user, any work, but no sharing. Other exceptions remain in force but are less permissive: private copy (LIGHT BLUE), research TDM for institutions (PURPLE), teaching/research extracts (RED), quotations (RED). Classification-neutral factors (non-commercial restrictions, remuneration, lawful-access requirements) were not factored into the color decision.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use
General TDM exception: reproductions and extractions for TDM by any person with lawful access, subject to opt-out by rights holders for online works; storage permitted for verification of research results
TDM exception for research organizations and cultural heritage institutions: reproductions and extractions for TDM for scientific research, not subject to contractual override
Representation or reproduction of extracts of works for illustration for teaching and research, excluding works made for education, musical editions, and digital publications of written works
Analyses and short quotations justified by critical, polemic, educational, scientific or informatory character
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: The Code de la propriété intellectuelle as in force in 2025 contains the following research-relevant exceptions: Art. L. 122-5(2°) – Private copying for the private use of the copyist; Art. L. 122-5(3°)(a) – Short quotations for scientific/educational purposes; Art. L. 122-5(3°)(e) – Extracts for illustration for teaching and research; Art. L. 122-5-2 – TDM for research organizations and cultural heritage institutions (non-overridable); Art. L. 122-5-3 – General TDM exception for any person with lawful access (subject to rights-holder opt-out for online works).