The Copyright and Other Intellectual Property Law Provisions Act 2019 came into operation from yesterday (2 December).

The new law modernises the copyright regime in Ireland by making better provision for copyright and other intellectual property (IP) protection in the digital era.

It also enables rights-holders to better enforce their IP rights in the courts. 

Lower-value cases

It does this by:

• Renaming the ‘Patents Office’ to the ‘Intellectual Property Office of Ireland’ to better reflect the role of the office, and bring it into line with the standardised naming convention for such offices across the EU,
• Allowing owners of IP to pursue lower-value IP infringement claims in the District and Circuit Courts, thereby reducing litigation costs, 
•  Making it easier for researchers to use text-and data-mining tools by expanding the current exception.

Business minister Heather Humphreys welcomed the new law, saying it concluded a modernisation process that began in 2011.

Ireland's reputation

She added: “The provisions contained in the act will be of particular interest to those engaged in scientific and other research, those involved in education and training, and will enhance Ireland’s reputation for the protection of intellectual property.”

The act comes in response to a report entitled ‘Modernising Copyright’, published in October 2013, which was compiled by the independent Copyright Review Committee, which was appointed in 2011. 

This work was undertaken on a pro bono basis.