Introduction to the partial revision of the Swiss Copyright Act

The Swiss Copyright Act is presently subject to partial revision. The applicable law dates from the year 1992 and often no longer meets today´s demands. The technological progress allows for new exploitation methods and possibilities of handling works protected by copyright. Given a copyright law still rooted in the old idea of reproduction, the various interests existing in the digital age are insufficiently taken into account. For this reason and in the course of new State Treaties adjustments have become indispensable. The primary objective of the revision is to adjust the protection by copyright to the modern information society. Following preparation of a preliminary draft by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IGE) and submission of said draft for consultation purposes, the Federal Council adopted in March 2006 its "message regarding the Federal ruling on the approval of two Treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and regarding the amendment of the Copyright Act". This draft bill was revised by the Council of States Commission for points of law, and had the acceptance of the Council of States in December 2006.