Selected year snapshot
For 2016, the active event in this file is Loi n° 2016-1321 du 7 octobre 2016 pour une République numérique.
60%
Current rationale
The Loi pour une République numérique of 7 October 2016 introduced a TDM exception into French copyright law. Art. 38 of the law added Art. L. 122-5(10°) to the CPI: an exception for 'copies ou reproductions numériques réalisées à partir d'une source licite, en vue de l'exploration de textes et de données incluses ou associées aux écrits scientifiques pour les besoins de la recherche publique' (digital copies or reproductions made from a lawful source for the purpose of text and data mining of data included in or associated with scientific writings for the needs of public research). This TDM exception is narrow: it is limited to (a) scientific writings only (not all works), (b) public research purposes only (not all users), and (c) reproduction only (not communication/sharing). Individually this would be ORANGE (restricted to scientific writings) or PURPLE (restricted to public research institutions). The most restrictive element is the work-type restriction (scientific writings only), making it ORANGE individually. However, the pre-existing private copy exception (Art. L. 122-5(2°)) remains in force and is more permissive (full works, any user acting privately). The overall classification remains LIGHT BLUE based on the private copy exception. The TDM exception entered into force on 9 October 2016.
Exceptions considered
Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use; excludes databases and computer programs
Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, pedagogical, scientific or informatory character of the incorporating work
Representation or reproduction of excerpts of works for exclusive purposes of illustration in the context of teaching and research
Digital copies or reproductions from a lawful source for text and data mining of scientific writings for public research needs
Law changes
Loi n° 57-298 du 11 mars 1957 sur la propriété littéraire et artistique, telle que modifiée par la Loi n° 85-660 du 3 juillet 1985
Baseline · Effective 1990-01-01
60%
Relevant section: Art. 41(2), Art. 41(3)
Dates: Effective 1990-01-01 · Enacted 1957-03-11
Why this score
Guadeloupe is an overseas department (département d'outre-mer) of France. French law, including copyright law, applies directly. On 1990-01-01, the applicable copyright law was the 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. The key research-relevant exceptions under Art. 41 of the 1957 law included: (1) Art. 41(2): analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, pedagogical, scientific or informatory character of the work in which they are incorporated — this is a quotation/short excerpt exception (RED individually); (2) Art. 41(3): private and gratuitous performances carried out exclusively within the family circle — not directly relevant to reproduction; and the general principle under Art. 41(1) that once a work has been disclosed, the author may not prohibit 'copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use' (copie privée). The private copy exception (Art. 41(2) of the 1957 law, renumbered in practice) permits reproduction of full works but is restricted to private/personal use of the individual copyist. No broader fair dealing, fair use, general research, or institutional exception existed. The most permissive exception for research purposes is the private copy exception, which covers reproduction of full works of any type by any individual for private use, but does not extend to sharing or institutional use. This maps to LIGHT BLUE. I was unable to retrieve the exact verbatim French text of Art. 41 of the 1957 law as in force on 1990-01-01 via web search; the WIPO source confirms the structure of the 1985 amendments but does not reproduce the full text of Art. 41 of the 1957 law.
Exceptions considered
Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use
Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, pedagogical, scientific or informatory character of the incorporating work
Source links
Code de la propriété intellectuelle (partie législative — version originale du 1er juillet 1992)
Relevant update · Effective 1992-07-01
60%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5
Dates: Effective 1992-07-01 · Enacted 1992-07-01
Why this score
The Intellectual Property Code (Code de la propriété intellectuelle, CPI) entered into force on 1 July 1992, codifying and replacing the 1957 law. Art. L. 122-5 consolidated the exceptions to copyright. The key provisions relevant to research: (1) Art. L. 122-5(2°): 'copies ou reproductions strictement réservées à l'usage privé du copiste et non destinées à une utilisation collective' — private copy exception, covering reproduction of full works for private use of the individual copyist, not for collective use; (2) Art. L. 122-5(3°)(a): 'analyses et courtes citations justifiées par le caractère critique, polémique, pédagogique, scientifique ou d'information de l'œuvre à laquelle elles sont incorporées' — short quotations for scientific/pedagogical purposes (RED individually). The codification did not materially change the scope of these exceptions. The private copy exception remains the most permissive for research: it covers reproduction of full works of any type by any individual for private use, but not sharing or institutional use. Classification remains LIGHT BLUE. I was unable to retrieve the exact verbatim text of the original 1992 version of Art. L. 122-5 via web search; the WIPO Lex page confirms the existence and date of the code but the full text was not directly accessible.
Exceptions considered
Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use
Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, pedagogical, scientific or informatory character of the incorporating work
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 (Loi DADVSI)
Relevant update · Effective 2006-08-03
60%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5(3°)(e), Art. L. 122-5(2°), Art. L. 122-5(8°)
Dates: Effective 2006-08-03 · Enacted 2006-08-01
Why this score
The DADVSI law of 1 August 2006 transposed EU Directive 2001/29/EC (InfoSoc Directive) into French law. It amended Art. L. 122-5 of the CPI. Key changes relevant to research: (1) Art. L. 122-5(2°) was maintained (private copy for private use of the copyist), but a new exclusion was added for copies of works of art intended to be used for identical purposes (and databases/software were already excluded from private copy by other provisions); (2) Art. L. 122-5(3°)(e) was added: exception for 'la reproduction ou la représentation, intégrale ou partielle, d'une œuvre d'art graphique, plastique ou architecturale, par voie de presse écrite, audiovisuelle ou en ligne, dans un but exclusif d'information immédiate et en relation directe avec cette dernière' — this is an informatory exception, not a research exception; (3) Art. L. 122-5(8°) was added: exception for reproduction of a work for purposes of consultation on dedicated terminals in libraries, museums, and archives — this is a narrow institutional exception limited to on-premises consultation (not lending or providing copies), so it does not qualify as PURPLE. The private copy exception (Art. L. 122-5(2°)) remained the most permissive for research. However, the DADVSI law also introduced Art. L. 122-5(3°)(e) for teaching and research illustration: 'la représentation ou la reproduction d'extraits d'œuvres... à des fins exclusives d'illustration dans le cadre de l'enseignement et de la recherche' — but this was limited to 'extraits' (excerpts), not full works, and was subject to compensation. This teaching/research exception is RED individually (excerpts only). The private copy exception continues to be the most permissive, covering full works for private use. Classification remains LIGHT BLUE. Note: computer programs and electronic databases are excluded from the private copy exception (Art. L. 122-5(2°) read with Art. L. 122-6-1 and Art. L. 342-3), which could push toward ORANGE, but the standard reading is that the private copy exception covers all other types of works in full, so LIGHT BLUE is maintained as the primary classification.
Exceptions considered
Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use; excludes databases and computer programs
Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, pedagogical, scientific or informatory character of the incorporating work
Representation or reproduction of excerpts of works for exclusive purposes of illustration in the context of teaching and research, subject to compensation
Reproduction of a work for consultation on dedicated terminals in libraries, museums, archives
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°)
Dates: Effective 2016-10-09 · Enacted 2016-10-07
Why this score
The Loi pour une République numérique of 7 October 2016 introduced a TDM exception into French copyright law. Art. 38 of the law added Art. L. 122-5(10°) to the CPI: an exception for 'copies ou reproductions numériques réalisées à partir d'une source licite, en vue de l'exploration de textes et de données incluses ou associées aux écrits scientifiques pour les besoins de la recherche publique' (digital copies or reproductions made from a lawful source for the purpose of text and data mining of data included in or associated with scientific writings for the needs of public research). This TDM exception is narrow: it is limited to (a) scientific writings only (not all works), (b) public research purposes only (not all users), and (c) reproduction only (not communication/sharing). Individually this would be ORANGE (restricted to scientific writings) or PURPLE (restricted to public research institutions). The most restrictive element is the work-type restriction (scientific writings only), making it ORANGE individually. However, the pre-existing private copy exception (Art. L. 122-5(2°)) remains in force and is more permissive (full works, any user acting privately). The overall classification remains LIGHT BLUE based on the private copy exception. The TDM exception entered into force on 9 October 2016.
Exceptions considered
Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use; excludes databases and computer programs
Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, pedagogical, scientific or informatory character of the incorporating work
Representation or reproduction of excerpts of works for exclusive purposes of illustration in the context of teaching and research
Digital copies or reproductions from a lawful source for text and data mining of scientific writings for public research needs
Source links
Ordonnance n° 2021-1518 du 24 novembre 2021 portant transposition de la directive (UE) 2019/790 sur le droit d'auteur et les droits voisins dans le marché unique numérique
Relevant update · Effective 2021-11-26
60%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5-3
Dates: Effective 2021-11-26 · Enacted 2021-11-24
Why this score
Ordonnance n° 2021-1518 of 24 November 2021 transposed EU Directive 2019/790 (DSM Directive) into French law. It replaced the narrow TDM exception of Art. L. 122-5(10°) with two new TDM exceptions: (1) Art. L. 122-5-3 I: TDM exception for research organizations and cultural heritage institutions — permits reproductions and extractions from lawfully accessed works for the purposes of text and data mining for scientific research; (2) Art. L. 122-5-3 II: general TDM exception — permits reproductions and extractions from lawfully accessed works for text and data mining, unless the rightsholder has expressly reserved this use (opt-out). The general TDM exception (Art. L. 122-5-3 II) is open to any user and covers reproduction and extraction of full works of any type. However, it covers only 'reproduction' and 'extraction' — not communication to the public or sharing. The research TDM exception (Art. L. 122-5-3 I) is limited to research organizations and cultural heritage institutions. Comparing all exceptions: (a) Private copy (Art. L. 122-5(2°)): full works, any individual, reproduction only, private use — LIGHT BLUE; (b) General TDM (Art. L. 122-5-3 II): full works, any user, reproduction/extraction only, subject to opt-out — BLUE individually (reproduction of full works, any user, but no sharing); (c) Research TDM (Art. L. 122-5-3 I): full works, institutional users only, reproduction/extraction only — PURPLE individually. The general TDM exception (Art. L. 122-5-3 II) is the most permissive: it covers reproduction of full works by any user (not limited to private/personal use), but does not cover communication/sharing. However, the opt-out mechanism means rightsholders can reserve their rights, which could limit availability. Under the classification rules, the opt-out does not change the color (it is analogous to a proportionality qualifier). The general TDM exception would be BLUE (reproduction of full works, any user, no sharing). This is more permissive than LIGHT BLUE. However, re-examining: the general TDM exception is specifically for TDM purposes, not general research reproduction. For general research reproduction (not TDM), the private copy exception (LIGHT BLUE) remains the most permissive. The question is whether the TDM exception, being open to any user for reproduction of full works, elevates the overall classification to BLUE. Under the rules, the classification must reflect the most permissive exception available for research use. TDM is a research use. The general TDM exception permits reproduction of full works by any user for TDM. This is BLUE. Therefore the overall classification should be BLUE.
Exceptions considered
Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use; excludes databases and computer programs
Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, pedagogical, scientific or informatory character of the incorporating work
Representation or reproduction of excerpts of works for exclusive purposes of illustration in the context of teaching and research
Reproductions and extractions from lawfully accessed works for TDM for scientific research by research organizations and cultural heritage institutions
Reproductions and extractions from lawfully accessed works for TDM by any user, subject to rightsholder opt-out
Source links
Code de la propriété intellectuelle (version consolidée en vigueur en 2025)
Current law confirmation · Effective 2025-01-01
80%
Relevant section: Art. L. 122-5, Art. L. 122-5-3
Dates: Effective 2025-01-01
Why this score
As of 2025, the French Intellectual Property Code (applicable to Guadeloupe as a French overseas department) contains the following research-relevant exceptions: (1) Art. L. 122-5(2°): private copy exception — reproduction of full works for private use of the copyist, not for collective use, excluding databases and computer programs (LIGHT BLUE); (2) Art. L. 122-5(3°)(a): short quotations for scientific/pedagogical purposes (RED); (3) Art. L. 122-5(3°)(e): excerpts for teaching and research illustration (RED); (4) Art. L. 122-5-3 I: TDM for research organizations and cultural heritage institutions (PURPLE); (5) Art. L. 122-5-3 II: general TDM for any user, subject to rightsholder opt-out (BLUE). The most permissive exception is Art. L. 122-5-3 II, which permits reproduction and extraction of full works of any type by any user for TDM purposes, but does not cover communication/sharing. This maps to BLUE. The opt-out mechanism and lawful-access requirement are classification-neutral factors. Uses: reproduction and extraction only (no sharing/communication). Works: all types. Users: any user. This is BLUE.
Exceptions considered
Copies or reproductions strictly reserved for the private use of the copyist and not intended for collective use; excludes databases and computer programs
Analyses and short quotations justified by the critical, polemic, pedagogical, scientific or informatory character of the incorporating work
Representation or reproduction of excerpts of works for exclusive purposes of illustration in the context of teaching and research
Reproductions and extractions from lawfully accessed works for TDM for scientific research by research organizations and cultural heritage institutions; no opt-out
Reproductions and extractions from lawfully accessed works for TDM by any user, subject to rightsholder opt-out