The moral rights of authors in the age of digital information

In addition to stipulating economic rights, the copyright laws of most nations grant authors a series of “moral rights.” The development of digital information and the new possibilities for information processing and transmission have given added significance to moral rights. This article briefly explains the content and characteristics of moral rights, and assesses the most important aspects of legislation in this area. The basic problems of the digital environment with respect to moral rights are discussed, and some suggestions are made for the international harmonization of rules controlling these rights.