2023-04-132022/23:NU14 · p.1NUBusiness & energy
Copyright-protected artworks in public places
Panorama freedom for artworks in public places
What's at stake: The issue is whether the public should be able to freely share images and photos of public art digitally, for example on social media or for tourism purposes, without paying compensation to the artist, and how this affects artists' rights.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The Riksdag decides whether the so-called panorama freedom in copyright law should be modernised and made technology-neutral so that images of artworks in public places may be freely shared digitally, or whether the current regulation should remain unchanged.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee emphasises that well-functioning intellectual property protection is an important precondition for realising the commercial value of research, innovation and creative industries, and therefore rejects the motions calling for a modernisation of panorama freedom.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (SD, C)
SD and C believe panorama freedom in copyright law should be modernised and made technology-neutral so that photographs, films and images of public art can be freely shared digitally, which could also benefit digital tourism, since current legislation is outdated and creates uncertainty about digital sharing.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by SD, C.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Yes 20/0/0/4 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| S | Yes | Yes 93/0/0/14 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 12/1/0/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: high | not addressed |
| C | No | No 0/21/0/3 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 14/0/0/5 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | follows the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| SD | No | No 0/63/1/9 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
Broke with the party line
| MPJacob Risberg (MP, Uppsala län) | No — party line: Yes |
| SDKatja Nyberg (SD, Kronobergs län) | Abstain — party line: No |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2022/23:329 by Rickard Nordin and Niels Paarup-Petersen (both C) proposal 7, 2022/23:939 by Tobias Andersson et al. (SD) proposal 6, 2022/23:976 by Michael Rubbestad et al. (SD) proposal 16 and 2022/23:1643 by Niels Paarup-Petersen et al. (C) proposals 34 and 36.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:329 av Rickard Nordin och Niels Paarup-Petersen (båda C) yrkande 7, 2022/23:939 av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD) yrkande 6, 2022/23:976 av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD) yrkande 16 och 2022/23:1643 av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C) yrkandena 34 och 36.
Riksdag decision: Parliament rejected approximately 30 proposals in motions from the ordinary motion period in 2022. In part by referring to work being conducted in several matters. The proposals concerned, for example, measures to modernize copyright, strengthened protection for intellectual property rights, knowledge-promoting initiatives in the field of intellectual property, and combating intellectual property infringement.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to modernize the panorama freedom to allow digital distribution of photographs of public art. (SD, C) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan establishes that everyone shall have the same right and opportunity to participate in cultural life and that cultural creativity shall be freed from commercial control.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that everyone shall have the same right and opportunity to participate in cultural life and that cultural creativity shall be freed from commercial control. To make panorama freedom technology-neutral so that images of public art can be freely spread digitally lies in line with this, especially since the plan wants to break market power's grip on the Internet and culture. The plan does not, however, address copyright's balances, so the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att alla ska ha samma rätt och möjlighet att ta del av kulturlivet och att kulturellt skapande ska vara frigjort från kommersiell kontroll. Att göra panoramafriheten teknikneutral så att bilder av offentlig konst fritt kan spridas digitalt ligger i linje med detta, särskilt eftersom planen vill bryta marknadsmaktens grepp om Internet och kultur. Planen behandlar dock inte upphovsrättens avvägningar, så slutsatsen är härledd.
- everyone's access to culturedecisive»Alla ska ha samma rätt och möjlighet att utöva kultur och att ta del av kulturlivet.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone shall have the same right and opportunity to practice culture and to take part in cultural life.”
- culture free from commercial control»Kulturellt skapande i alla dess former, frigjort från kommersiell och statlig kontroll, är både ett mål i sig och ett verktyg för att förstå och förändra samhället.« (party programme ↗)“Cultural creativity in all its forms, freed from commercial and state control, is both a goal in itself and a tool to understand and change society.”
- break market power on the web»Marknadsmakten har ett starkt grepp om Internet, tv och kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Market power has a strong grip on the Internet, TV and culture.”
- right to knowledge»Världsomfattande mediemonopol begränsar det fria ordet och människors rätt till kunskap.« (party programme ↗)“Global media monopolies limit freedom of speech and people's right to knowledge.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme's cultural policy commitment is to guarantee the freedom of artists and to uphold artistic copyright, with society's support for artists so they can meet their audience.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme's cultural policy commitment is to guarantee the freedom of artists and to uphold artistic copyright, with society's support for artists so they can meet their audience. An expanded freedom of panorama that makes it free to disseminate images of public art digitally curtails precisely that right. The programme's requirement to make art accessible to all pulls in the other direction, but copyright is the stated principle.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammets kulturpolitiska åtagande är att garantera konstnärernas frihet och att slå vakt om den konstnärliga upphovsrätten, med samhällets stöd till konstnärer så att de kan möta sin publik. En utvidgad panoramafrihet som gör det fritt att sprida bilder av offentlig konst digitalt inskränker just den rätten. Programmets krav på att göra konsten tillgänglig för alla drar åt andra hållet, men upphovsrätten är den uttalade principen.
- protected artistic copyrightdecisive»En viktig del av detta är att slå vakt om den konstnärliga« (party programme ↗)“An important part of this is to uphold artistic”
- support for artists' conditions»upphovsrätten. Samhället ska stödja kulturlivet och ge konstnärer inom alla konstarter« (party programme ↗)“copyright. Society shall support cultural life and give artists in all art forms”
- art accessible to all»konstens olika uttrycksformer tillgängliga för alla, barn och vuxna, i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“art's various forms of expression accessible to all, children and adults, throughout the country.”
The plan wants to see copyright legislation adapted to today's society, where copyright promotes active and participatory creation and free use is encouraged, and where digital technology is used best to disseminate culture.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to see copyright legislation adapted to today's society, where copyright promotes active and participatory creation and free use is encouraged, and where digital technology is used best to disseminate culture. Technology-neutral panorama freedom that allows digital dissemination of images of public art is precisely such a modernization.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill se en upphovsrättslagstiftning anpassad till dagens samhälle, där upphovsrätten gynnar ett aktivt och deltagande skapande och fri användning uppmuntras, och där digital teknik används på bästa sätt för att sprida kultur. En teknikneutral panoramafrihet som tillåter digital spridning av bilder av offentlig konst är precis en sådan modernisering.
- time-adapted copyrightdecisive»Miljöpartiet de gröna vill se en upphovsrättslagstiftning, anpassad till dagens samhälle, som främjar kulturskapande i både klassiska och nya former.« (party programme ↗)“The Green Party wants to see copyright legislation, adapted to today's society, that promotes cultural creation in both classical and new forms.”
- free use is encouraged»Upphovsrätten ska gynna ett aktivt och deltagande skapande och public services produktioner ska i möjligaste mån uppmuntra till fri användning.« (party programme ↗)“Copyright shall promote active and participatory creation and public service productions shall, as far as possible, encourage free use.”
- digital culture dissemination»Digital teknik ska användas på bästa sätt för att sprida kultur.« (party programme ↗)“Digital technology shall be used best to disseminate culture.”
- culture accessible to all»Kulturen ska vara tillgänglig för alla.« (party programme ↗)“Culture shall be accessible to all.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The party programme states that copyright must develop for digitalization's conditions and warns that overly broad protection risks preventing innovation and new business models.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme states that copyright must develop for digitalization's conditions and warns that overly broad protection risks preventing innovation and new business models. That argues for making panorama freedom technology-neutral so that images of public art can freely be spread digitally. At the same time, copyright holders' right to compensation must be secured, which sets a limit to how far freedom can be stretched.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att upphovsrätten måste utvecklas för digitaliseringens villkor och varnar för att ett för brett definierat skydd hindrar innovation och nya affärsmodeller. Det talar för att panoramafriheten görs teknikneutral så att bilder av offentlig konst fritt kan spridas digitalt. Samtidigt ska upphovsmännens rätt till ersättning säkras, vilket sätter en gräns för hur långt friheten kan sträckas.
- not overly broad copyright protectiondecisive»för utdraget i tiden och för brett definierat riskerar det att förhindra entreprenörskap, innovation och nya affärsmodeller.« (party programme ↗)“for too long and if defined too broadly risks preventing entrepreneurship, innovation and new business models.”
- copyright must be modernized»Digitaliseringen utmanar den traditionella synen på upphovsrätten.« (party programme ↗)“Digitalization challenges the traditional view of copyright.”
- free digital sharing»Centerpartiet motsätter sig en ökad reglering av internet.« (party programme ↗)“The Centre Party opposes increased regulation of the internet.”
- copyright holders' compensation»samtidigt som upphovsmännens rätt att få ersättning för sitt arbete måste säkras.« (party programme ↗)“while copyright holders' right to receive compensation for their work must be secured.”
The party programme establishes that copyright must be adapted to new technology and new distribution forms and that digital public goods shall be facilitated.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that copyright must be adapted to new technology and new distribution forms and that digital public goods shall be facilitated. A technology-neutral panorama freedom that allows digital distribution of images of public art is precisely such an adaptation. The plan also sees new technology as something that increases accessibility to culture.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att upphovsrätten måste anpassas till ny teknik och nya distributionsformer och att digitala allmänningar ska underlättas. En teknikneutral panoramafrihet som tillåter digital spridning av bilder av offentlig konst är precis en sådan anpassning. Planen ser också den nya tekniken som något som ökar tillgängligheten till kultur.
- copyright in pace with technologydecisive»Upphovsrätten måste dock anpassas till ny teknik och nya distributionsformer.« (party programme ↗)“Copyright must, however, be adapted to new technology and new distribution forms.”
- digital public goods»Digitala allmänningar ska underlättas och formerna för att avstå rättigheterna till verk förenklas.« (party programme ↗)“Digital public goods shall be facilitated and the forms for waiving the rights to works simplified.”
- technology increases cultural accessibility»Den nya tekniken ökar tillgängligheten till kultur.« (party programme ↗)“New technology increases accessibility to culture.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that legislation in the area of freedom of expression should, as far as possible, be independent of the technology used, which is precisely the requirement for technology-neutral panoramic freedom.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that legislation in the area of freedom of expression should, as far as possible, be independent of the technology used, which is precisely the requirement for technology-neutral panoramic freedom. The public should moreover actively contribute to culture reaching the citizens. At the same time, the plan protects property rights, which makes the support conditional on not undermining the fundamental protection of rights holders.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att lagstiftningen på yttrandefrihetens område så långt möjligt ska vara oberoende av använd teknik, vilket är just kravet på en teknikneutral panoramafrihet. Det offentliga ska dessutom aktivt bidra till att kulturen kommer medborgarna till del. Samtidigt värnar planen äganderätten, vilket gör stödet villkorat av att upphovsmännens grundläggande skydd inte urholkas.
- technology-neutral legislationdecisive»Lagstiftningen på området bör så långt möjligt vara« (party programme ↗)“Legislation in the area should, as far as possible, be”
- culture shall reach the citizens»aktivt bidra till att kulturen kommer medborgarna till« (party programme ↗)“actively contribute to culture reaching the citizens”
- protected property rights»Rätten till egendom är en mänsklig rättighet och« (party programme ↗)“The right to property is a human right and”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan does not address panorama freedom.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan does not address panorama freedom. The nearest guiding principle is that property rights and business freedom should have strong protection, and that the owner should be allowed to dispose of their own, since freedom is undermined where property rights are undermined. An expanded right to freely distribute images of copyright-protected works narrows that right, so the demand is rejected on weak grounds.
Original (Swedish)
Planen behandlar inte panoramafriheten. Den närmast liggande principen är att äganderätten och näringsfriheten ska ha ett starkt skydd och att den som äger ska få förfoga över sitt, eftersom friheten undergrävs där äganderätten undergrävs. En utvidgad rätt att fritt sprida bilder av upphovsrättsskyddade verk beskär den rätten, varför kravet avvisas på svagt underlag.
- strong property rightsdecisive»Äganderätten och näringsfriheten ska ha ett starkt skydd i« (party programme ↗)“Property rights and business freedom should have strong protection in”
- property rights carry freedom»Där äganderätten undergrävs, där undergrävs alltid friheten.« (party programme ↗)“Where property rights are undermined, freedom is always undermined.”
- copyright owner's disposal rights»rätt att använda sitt ägande efter eget huvud ska vara vägledande.« (party programme ↗)“the right to use your ownership according to your own judgment should be guiding.”
The plan establishes that outdated copyright rules need to be adapted to how people consume and create content in the digital society, which is precisely the counter-proposal's reason for technology-neutral panorama freedom.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that outdated copyright rules need to be adapted to how people consume and create content in the digital society, which is precisely the counter-proposal's reason for technology-neutral panorama freedom. The plan furthermore wants to strengthen freedom of expression on the internet and opposes rules that limit how material can be spread digitally. Showing Swedish culture widely is also in line with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att föråldrade upphovsrättsregler behöver anpassas efter hur människor konsumerar och skapar innehåll i det digitala samhället, vilket är precis motförslagets skäl för en teknikneutral panoramafrihet. Planen vill dessutom stärka yttrandefriheten på internet och motsätter sig regler som begränsar hur material får spridas digitalt. Att visa svensk kultur brett ligger också i planens linje.
- modernised copyrightdecisive»Föråldrade regler om upphovsrätt behöver också anpassas efter hur människor konsumerar och skapar innehåll i det digitala samhället.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Outdated copyright rules also need to be adapted to how people consume and create content in the digital society.”
- free spread of material»Sverigedemokraterna vill förhindra pekpinnar från EU som hotar att bestämma vilket innehåll som får tillhandahållas genom digitala tjänster och hur material får spridas på Internet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to prevent directives from the EU that threaten to determine which content can be provided through digital services and how material can be spread on the Internet.”
- freedom of expression on the internet»Stärka yttrandefriheten på Internet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen freedom of expression on the Internet”
- show Swedish culture»Sverigedemokraterna vill värna, vårda och visa svensk kultur.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats want to protect, care for and show Swedish culture.”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:NU14)
- Committee report full text (HA01NU14)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1643 — En hållbar digitalisering av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:2064 — Handel och exportfrämjande av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:2176 — Paket för att stärka den fria konsten av Amanda Lind (MP)
- Motion 2022/23:329 — Lagar och regler som bör avskaffas av Rickard Nordin och Niels Paarup-Petersen (båda C)
- Motion 2022/23:548 — Civilrättsliga sanktioner på immaterialrättens område av Markus Wiechel och Alexander Christiansson (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:930 — Uppfinningslandet Sverige av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:939 — Immaterialrättsliga frågor i ett digitalt samhälle av Tobias Andersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:976 — Framtidens e-sport av Michael Rubbestad m.fl. (SD)
Source: The Swedish Parliament