Compliant use of standards and copyright in standards management
Standards are works protected under copyright law. By buying an ÖNORM standard, for example, you acquire utilization rights and can use the document – in line with the licence agreement. Thus, there are various aspects that need to be borne in mind when you use standards.
Depending on the use case, standards can be used under a single-user or multi-user licence. When you buy an individual document in the Webshop, you usually get a single-user licence. However, if several persons use a standard in your company, you need an appropriate multi-user licence. Otherwise, copyright may be infringed.
This page informs you how to keep your standards management legally compliant. Read more about:
- why normative documents are protected by copyright,
- how you respect copyright and
- what a single-user or multi-user licence allows you to do.
Info material
Single-user or multi-user licence?
This brochure gives you a concise overview of the most important information on the legally compliant use of standards.
Standards – protected by copyright
Numerous experts from business, research, administration and NGOs are involved in the standardization process. Their goal is to develop a common recommendation ("good practice") by addressing an issue from diverse perspectives. Thus, standards are based on the expertise and knowledge of many people who develop economically valuable know-how that is protected under copyright law.
Copyright protects the rights of the creators of the work. Similarly to music and image rights, standards are also protected by copyright. Their reproduction – be it by copying, printing, filming, transcribing or scanning – requires the consent of Austrian Standards. If you have any questions on copyright and standards management, please contact us.
Multi-user licences respect copyright
Copyright is infringed when a document bought with a single-user licence in the Webshop is shared within a company. A purchased standard can be quickly distributed in a company. With just one click, the newly acquired standard is passed on to a colleague by e-mail. Once it is saved on the company's internal network, it is made accessible to all employees of the company. However, the acquisition of a single-user licence under a purchase in the webshop does not automatically result in the right to reproduce or distribute the document. To ensure compliant multiple use, it is therefore recommendable to obtain a´n appropriate multi-user licence.
The copyright on standards can be infringed in various ways in a company. The cases in which a company not having the relevant multi-user licence violates copyrights can be grouped in three categories:
Making standards available electronically, e.g.
- Provision of access on network drives
- Provision of access via document management systems
- Publication on the intranet
- Publication on websites on the internet
Reproducing and passing on standards internally and externally, e.g.
- Taking over of text from standards
- Transfer by e-mail
- Passing on by means of data media (memory sticks, CDs, etc.)
- Digitization (scanning, copying, photographing, etc.)
Editing of standards, e.g.
- Translation into other languages
Therefore, standards management has to take account of utilization rights obtained (single-user or multi-user licence) and how standards purchased may be used without infringing copyrights.
An exemption applies to standards that form part of acts of parliament or regulations. They are not subject to copyright as they form part of legislation and, as a result, are considered to be in the public domain under the terms of the Austrian Copyright Act. Hence, such standards can be used without any restrictions and without prior consent.
Which rights are obtained under a single-user and a multi-user licence?
the single-user licence
When you buy standards, you obtain the right to use them on one workstation. Digital documents may be stored locally and used on a single workstation within your company. A single-user licence does not authorize you to reproduce or scan the document or to save it on the corporate network.
The production of copies of standards requires appropriate licences as it results in their use by multiple people.
The multi-user licence
When you obtaining a multi-user licence, you are authorized to reproduce normative documents in your company. You can provide access to the documents in your corporate network and on the intranet and reproduce them for employees.
As a rule, the amount of the licence fee for multi-user licences is caculated on the basis of the number of standards used, the number of employees as well as the number of locations. The licence agreement is updated anually.
Utilization rights (multi-user licences) obtained under a licence are restricted to internal use within your company. Any transfer of the relevant documents to third parties is not covered by the licence agreement and infringes copyrights.
Consequently, a multi-user licence governs the following actions within your company:
- Provision of access to normative documents
- Reproduction of normative documents
- Editing of normative documents
The most important dos und don'ts helping you to avoid copyright infringements in the context of multi-user licences are summarized in this overview.
Using Standards lawfully
In addition to key standards on quality, risk management and compliance, each industry has its specific standards and normative documents. You easily end up with hundreds or even thousands of documents that are relevant for your company. Professional standards management helps you stay on top of things, respects copyrights and makes the company-wide utilization of standards more transparent.
We will be pleased to advise you if you have any questions on standards management and licence management. If you want to know whether the rights to the standards you bought are properly managed, please complete the following form and we will contact you as soon as possible.
