Czech Supreme Court: Statutory Remuneration for Private Copying Applies also to Smartphones. The judgment of the Supreme Court regarding statutory remuneration under the Copyright Act was published in the Collection of Judicial Decisions and Opinions under No. 39/2025. In its judgment No. 23 Cdo 1048/2023, dated 31 October 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that smartphones are subject to the obligation to pay statutory (levy-based) remuneration under the Copyright Act, notwithstanding the current wording of the implementing Decree No. 488/2006 Coll., which provides an exemption for mobile phones. The Supreme Court emphasized that modern phones are multi-functional devices capable of storing copyrighted works; therefore, the Decree must be interpreted in conformity with EU law (specifically the principle of fair remuneration under Directive NIS2). Sellers and importers are now obliged to provide data on sold devices with internal memory, which serves as the basis for calculating "private copying" levies. The exemption remains applicable only to basic devices with minimal reproduction capabilities.
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Czech Supreme Court: Statutory Remuneration for Private Copying Applies also to Smartphones. The judgment of the Supreme Court regarding statutory remuneration under the Copyright Act was published in the Collection of Judicial Decisions and Opinions under No. 39/2025. In its judgment No. 23 Cdo 1048/2023, dated 31 October 2024, the Supreme Court ruled that smartphones are subject to the obligation to pay statutory (levy-based) remuneration under the Copyright Act, notwithstanding the current wording of the implementing Decree No. 488/2006 Coll., which provides an exemption for mobile phones. The Supreme Court emphasized that modern phones are multi-functional devices capable of storing copyrighted works; therefore, the Decree must be interpreted in conformity with EU law (specifically the principle of fair remuneration under Directive NIS2). Sellers and importers are now obliged to provide data on sold devices with internal memory, which serves as the basis for calculating "private copying" levies. The exemption remains applicable only to basic devices with minimal reproduction capabilities.
In November 2025, a new Czech Cybersecurity Act will enter into force. It aims to increase security requirements for entities in cyberspace, better protect important institutions and companies against electronic attacks, and introduce unified rules for handling threats in the digital environment. Act No. 264/2025 Coll. replaces the existing legislation from 2014 and incorporates the rules set out by the European Union (NIS2 Directive). From now on, cybersecurity obligations will apply not only to operators of critical infrastructure but also healthcare sector, transport, universities, cloud service providers, and public authorities. Organizations are required to register with the Czech National Cyber and Information Security Agency within 60 days after the Act enters into force and implement the necessary security measures within one year. For breaches of the rules, sanctions may be imposed, including a fine of up to 2 percent of the organization's worldwide turnover.