Authorship matters! Authorship in the EU with a focus on film1

Abstract

The term author, although at the center of copyright, is not defined in EU law. This lack of an EU wide definition leads to problems in the internal market and unequal treatment of authors due to differing laws on the topic of authorship in EU Member States. The author of this article argues that there should be a definition for authorship in EU law to achieve a well-functioning Single Market and to create fair conditions for creatives in the EU. Two definitions are proposed, one relating to authors in general, and another one more specific for the area of film.