Copyright in the Republic of Croatia in light of the new Copyright and Related Rights Act

english

2026

volume 18, issue 1

copyright   digital single market   Directive (EU) 2019/790   DSM Directive   online platforms   publishers of press publications

Univerza v Mariboru, Pravna fakulteta
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

The aim of this paper is to analyse the key changes introduced by the Croatian Copyright and Related Rights Act of 2021, particularly in the context of harmonisation with European Union law. Special attention is devoted to the historical development of copyright, the legal framework, and the digital environment, including the liability of online platforms, new rules governing the use of content, and the expansion of the rights of right holders. The paper also examines criticisms of the new Act, as well as the challenges and issues that have emerged in practice following its adoption. A range of scientific methods is employed, including inductive and deductive reasoning, methods of analysis and synthesis, abstraction and concretisation, generalisation and specialisation, classification, description, historical analysis, compilation, and comparative analysis. The paper concludes by confirming the initial hypothesis. It finds that the new Act represents an important step in the modernisation of the Croatian copyright system; however, its full effectiveness will depend on how its provisions are applied and interpreted in legal practice.

23.10.2026