Flexible copyright : the law and economics of introducing an open norm in the Netherlands

Study analyses the law and economics of introducing flexibility in the system of exceptions and limitations in Dutch copyright law. Flexibility would exist in an open norm, on the basis of which the courts can decide whether certain uses of copyrighted material are permissible or not, instead of explicitly defining this in the law. The report assesses problem areas where the lack of flexibility creates legal disputes and potential barriers to innovation and production. The core of the study concerns the analysis of the economic rationale and effects of introducing flexibility in the Dutch legal order in the form of an open norm. The study includes a case study of Israel, where a fair use exception was introduced in the Copyright Act in 2007.