Selected year snapshot
For 1993, the active event in this file is Danish Copyright Act (Ophavsretsloven), as applied to Greenland.
60%
Current rationale
Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Copyright law in Greenland is governed by the Danish Copyright Act (Ophavsretsloven), which applies to Greenland by virtue of the Danish Realm's constitutional structure. The Danish Copyright Act has historically been extended to Greenland. As of 1990-01-01, the applicable law was the Danish Copyright Act as consolidated at that time. The key research-relevant exceptions in the Danish Copyright Act as of 1990 were: (1) Section 12 — private copying/personal use exception, which permitted reproduction of individual copies of published works for private use (not for commercial purposes). This is a private/personal use exception open to individuals only, covering reproduction of full works but not sharing/communication. It applies to all types of works (with some restrictions on computer programs, architectural works, etc. added later). (2) Section 16 — library/institutional copying exception, which permitted certain libraries, archives, and museums to make copies for preservation and for users under specific conditions (e.g., single articles, short sections). The most permissive exception for a researcher was Section 12 (private use), which permitted reproduction of full works for private use by individuals. This is a personal/private use exception — it does not authorize sharing or institutional use. No general fair dealing or fair use clause exists in Danish/Greenlandic copyright law. No TDM exception existed at this date. The classification is LIGHT BLUE: reproduction of full works is permitted, but only for private/personal use by individuals, and sharing is not authorized. Classification-neutral factors (non-commercial restriction, copy limits) were not factored into the color decision.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: permits making individual copies of published works for private use, not for commercial purposes. Covers reproduction of full works by individuals.
Library/institutional copying: permits certain public libraries, archives, and museums to make copies for preservation, completion of collections, and to provide single articles or short sections to users for research.
Quotation: permits quotation from a published work in accordance with fair practice and to the extent required by the purpose.
Law changes
Danish Copyright Act (Ophavsretsloven), as applied to Greenland
Baseline · Effective 1990-01-01
60%
Relevant section: § 12, § 16
Dates: Effective 1990-01-01
Why this score
Greenland (Kalaallit Nunaat) is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Copyright law in Greenland is governed by the Danish Copyright Act (Ophavsretsloven), which applies to Greenland by virtue of the Danish Realm's constitutional structure. The Danish Copyright Act has historically been extended to Greenland. As of 1990-01-01, the applicable law was the Danish Copyright Act as consolidated at that time. The key research-relevant exceptions in the Danish Copyright Act as of 1990 were: (1) Section 12 — private copying/personal use exception, which permitted reproduction of individual copies of published works for private use (not for commercial purposes). This is a private/personal use exception open to individuals only, covering reproduction of full works but not sharing/communication. It applies to all types of works (with some restrictions on computer programs, architectural works, etc. added later). (2) Section 16 — library/institutional copying exception, which permitted certain libraries, archives, and museums to make copies for preservation and for users under specific conditions (e.g., single articles, short sections). The most permissive exception for a researcher was Section 12 (private use), which permitted reproduction of full works for private use by individuals. This is a personal/private use exception — it does not authorize sharing or institutional use. No general fair dealing or fair use clause exists in Danish/Greenlandic copyright law. No TDM exception existed at this date. The classification is LIGHT BLUE: reproduction of full works is permitted, but only for private/personal use by individuals, and sharing is not authorized. Classification-neutral factors (non-commercial restriction, copy limits) were not factored into the color decision.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: permits making individual copies of published works for private use, not for commercial purposes. Covers reproduction of full works by individuals.
Library/institutional copying: permits certain public libraries, archives, and museums to make copies for preservation, completion of collections, and to provide single articles or short sections to users for research.
Quotation: permits quotation from a published work in accordance with fair practice and to the extent required by the purpose.
Source links
Danish Copyright Act (Ophavsretsloven), as amended by Act No. 1051 of 17 December 2002 (transposing Directive 2001/29/EC)
Relevant update · Effective 2003-01-01
60%
Relevant section: § 12, § 16, § 16a, § 16b
Dates: Effective 2003-01-01 · Enacted 2002-12-17
Why this score
Denmark transposed the EU Information Society Directive (2001/29/EC) into national law through amendments effective in 2003. This updated the private copying exception (§12) and the library/institutional exceptions (§16, §16a, §16b). Section 12 continued to permit reproduction for private use. Section 16b introduced provisions for on-premises terminal access at libraries and archives. However, Greenland is not part of the EU and EU directives do not directly apply to Greenland. The Danish Copyright Act amendments may or may not have been extended to Greenland by separate order. The core private use exception (§12) remained the most permissive research-relevant exception, permitting reproduction of full works for private/personal use by individuals. No fair dealing, fair use, or TDM exception was introduced. Classification remains LIGHT BLUE. Note: the exact date of extension to Greenland of these amendments could not be verified; the date_effective reflects the Danish mainland entry into force.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: permits making single or a few copies of published works for private use. Covers reproduction of full works by individuals. Excludes computer programs, architectural works (as works of architecture), and certain other categories.
Library/institutional copying: permits certain public libraries, archives, and museums to make copies for preservation, completion of collections, and to provide copies to users under specific conditions.
Institutional copying: additional provisions for libraries and archives regarding digital copies and inter-library supply.
On-premises terminal access: permits libraries, archives, museums to make works available on dedicated terminals on premises for research and private study.
Quotation: permits quotation from a published work in accordance with fair practice and to the extent required by the purpose.
Source links
Danish Copyright Act (Ophavsretsloven), as amended by Act No. 741 of 25 June 2014
Relevant update · Effective 2014-10-23
60%
Relevant section: § 12, § 16, § 16a, § 16b
Dates: Effective 2014-10-23 · Enacted 2014-06-25
Why this score
The 2014 consolidated version of the Danish Copyright Act (Consolidate Act No. 1144 of October 23, 2014) reflects the law as amended through Act No. 741 of June 25, 2014. Section 12 remains the most permissive research-relevant exception: it permits any person to make single copies of a published work for private purposes. This covers reproduction of full works (with exclusions for architectural works, certain art reproductions, computer programs in digital form, and significant parts of databases). The exception is limited to private purposes and does not authorize sharing or communication. No fair dealing, fair use, or TDM exception exists. Library exceptions (§16, §16a, §16b) remain but are more restrictive (institutional only). Classification remains LIGHT BLUE: full-work reproduction permitted for private/personal use by individuals, no sharing authorized, no broader general research exception. The exclusions in §12(2) for computer programs, architectural works, etc. are noted but do not change the classification from LIGHT BLUE to ORANGE because the dominant restriction is the private/personal use limitation, which is more restrictive in the color hierarchy than a work-type restriction.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: any person may make single copies of a published work for private purposes. Excludes architectural works, certain art reproductions, computer programs in digital form, and significant parts of databases.
Library/institutional copying: permits certain public libraries, archives, and museums to make copies for preservation and to provide copies to users.
Institutional digital copying and inter-library supply provisions.
On-premises terminal access at libraries, archives, museums for research and private study.
Quotation: permits quotation from a published work in accordance with fair practice and to the extent required by the purpose.
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: Section 12.-(1) When a work has been made public, any person may make or have made, for private purposes, single copies of the work. Such copies must not be used for any other purpose. (2) The provision of subsection (1) shall not confer a right to: (i) construct a work of architecture; (ii) make a copy of a work of art by means of casting, by printing from an original negative or base, or in any other manner implying that the copy can serve as an original; (iii) make copies of computer programs in digital form; or (iv) make copies in digital form of databases where the copying constitutes a significant part of the database.
Source links
Danish Copyright Act (Ophavsretsloven), as amended by Act No. 1170 of 8 June 2021 (transposing Directive (EU) 2019/790 — DSM Directive)
Relevant update · Effective 2021-06-08
60%
Relevant section: § 11b, § 11c, § 12, § 16, § 16a, § 16b
Dates: Effective 2021-06-08 · Enacted 2021-06-08
Why this score
Denmark transposed the EU DSM Directive (2019/790) into national law through amendments to the Copyright Act effective June 2021. This introduced TDM exceptions (new §11b and §11c). Section 11b permits TDM by research organisations and cultural heritage institutions for scientific research purposes (transposing Art. 3 of the DSM Directive). Section 11c permits TDM by any person for any purpose, provided the rightsholder has not expressly reserved the right (transposing Art. 4 of the DSM Directive). However, critically, Greenland is NOT part of the EU and EU directives do not apply to Greenland. The DSM Directive transposition into Danish law does not automatically extend to Greenland. Whether these specific TDM provisions have been extended to Greenland by royal decree or separate order could not be verified. If the TDM provisions DO apply to Greenland, the classification would potentially change: §11c (TDM for any purpose by any user, covering reproduction) would be BLUE (reproduction only, no communication/sharing authorized beyond what is needed for TDM), and §11b (TDM for scientific research by research organisations) would be PURPLE. However, the pre-existing §12 private use exception (LIGHT BLUE) would still be in force. The most permissive would then be §11c at BLUE if it applies. Given the uncertainty about territorial extension to Greenland, and the fact that Greenland is outside the EU, the conservative classification remains LIGHT BLUE based on the pre-existing §12 private use exception, which is known to apply to Greenland. If the TDM provisions were confirmed to apply, the classification would be BLUE.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: any person may make single copies of a published work for private purposes. Excludes architectural works, certain art reproductions, computer programs in digital form, and significant parts of databases.
TDM for scientific research: permits research organisations and cultural heritage institutions to make reproductions and extractions for text and data mining for scientific research purposes. (Uncertain whether extended to Greenland.)
TDM general: permits any person to make reproductions and extractions for text and data mining, provided the rightsholder has not expressly reserved the right. Covers reproduction only. (Uncertain whether extended to Greenland.)
Library/institutional copying for preservation and user supply.
Institutional digital copying and inter-library supply.
On-premises terminal access at institutions.
Quotation in accordance with fair practice.
Source links
Danish Copyright Act (Ophavsretsloven), as applied to Greenland
Current law confirmation · Effective 2025-01-01
60%
Relevant section: § 12 (and potentially §§ 11b, 11c, 16, 16a, 16b, 22)
Dates: Effective 2025-01-01
Why this score
As of 2025, the Danish Copyright Act applies to Greenland. The most permissive research-relevant exception that is confirmed to apply to Greenland is §12 (private copying), which permits any person to make single copies of a published work for private purposes. This covers reproduction of full works (with exclusions for architectural works, certain art reproductions, computer programs in digital form, and significant parts of databases). The exception is limited to private purposes and does not authorize sharing or communication. No general fair dealing, fair use, or open research exception exists in the Danish Copyright Act. The TDM exceptions (§11b, §11c) introduced in 2021 to transpose the EU DSM Directive may or may not apply to Greenland — this could not be verified. If they do apply, §11c would permit TDM reproduction by any user (BLUE), which would upgrade the classification. Library exceptions (§16, §16a, §16b) are more restrictive (institutional only, PURPLE). The quotation exception (§22) is limited to excerpts (RED). Based on confirmed provisions, the classification is LIGHT BLUE. The exclusions in §12(2) for specific work types are noted but do not change the classification because the private/personal use restriction is the dominant limiting factor (LIGHT BLUE is more restrictive than ORANGE in the hierarchy). Classification-neutral factors (non-commercial restriction, single-copy limit) were not factored into the color decision.
Exceptions considered
Private copying: any person may make single copies of a published work for private purposes. Excludes architectural works, certain art reproductions, computer programs in digital form, and significant parts of databases.
TDM for scientific research by research organisations and cultural heritage institutions. (Uncertain whether extended to Greenland.)
TDM general: any person may make reproductions and extractions for TDM, subject to rightsholder opt-out. Covers reproduction only. (Uncertain whether extended to Greenland.)
Library/institutional copying for preservation and user supply.
Institutional digital copying and inter-library supply.
On-premises terminal access at institutions for research and private study.
Quotation from a published work in accordance with fair practice and to the extent required by the purpose.
English rendering
[Unofficial translation, from Consolidate Act No. 1144 of 2014, §12]: Section 12.-(1) When a work has been made public, any person may make or have made, for private purposes, single copies of the work. Such copies must not be used for any other purpose. (2) The provision of subsection (1) shall not confer a right to: (i) construct a work of architecture; (ii) make a copy of a work of art by means of casting, by printing from an original negative or base, or in any other manner implying that the copy can serve as an original; (iii) make copies of computer programs in digital form; or (iv) make copies in digital form of databases where the copying constitutes a significant part of the database.