Permissible Use of Protected Works for Informative Purposes (Reflections on the Article 25 of Polish Act on Copyright and Related Rights)

The institution of permissible use of protected works (fair use) for informative purposes is one of the exceptions provided for in the Polish Act on Copyright and Related Rights which stipulates the possibility to use the copyrighted work beyond the limits set by its author (copyright owner). Regulated – above all – in art. 25 of the Copyright Act, it is intended to constitute the basis for the rapid dissemination of information, which is particularly important for the functioning of the information society. The author presents the conditions under which the indicated legal institution can be used, problems resulting from its use and proposals for their resolution. In his considerations, the author also returns to the earlier studies regarding the permissible use of protected works (fair use) for informative purposes, referring – in retrospect – to the previously expressed views on the functioning of the presented legal institution.