Except for general provisions of the Law on Culture, there are no specific laws on literature in the Republic of Moldova.
The Law on Libraries (1994) specifies the legal status of libraries and how they should operate. According to Article 9, the national library network comprises libraries and biblioteconomic centres (territorial library associations within districts and municipalities that are involved in managing public libraries at the local level), organised by region and branch, set up and funded by the state. They are aimed at meeting the interests and needs for public information, training and culture, and are co-ordinated by a single body.
Depending on the customer, libraries in Moldova are: specialised, educational or public. Libraries can be state-owned, public and private.
The law includes detailed provisions on library collections, on the economic basis of libraries and international collaboration between libraries.
The Law on Publishing (2000, modified in 2001) sets out the legal framework for publishing and the state policy on book publishing. These provisions are designed to prevent monopolies, uphold freedom of expression and ensure the consolidation and modernisation of the available technical, organisational, legal and scientific facilities in this sector.
The following rights are accorded under Section 4 of this law: the right to set up publishing houses; the right to publish; and the publisher’s intellectual property rights for works published, which guarantee publishing rights in the Republic of Moldova and abroad.
The Law on Publishing also contains provisions on publishing contracts, the organisational aspects of publishing, the distribution of published materials, state guarantees in the field of publishing, and international co-operation.
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