Chapter I: General provisions

Articles in this section · 9

L211-1L211-2L211-3L211-3-1L211-4L211-5L211-6L211-7L211-8

Article L211-4

French Intellectual Property CodeIn force
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Updated 8 Nov 2023

I.-The term of performers' economic rights is fifty years from 1 January of the calendar year following that of the performance.

However, if, during this period, a fixation of the performance in a videogram or phonogram is made available to the public, by means of material copies, or is communicated to the public, the performer's economic rights expire:

1° For a performance fixed in a videogram, fifty years after 1 January of the calendar year following the first of these events;

2° For a performance fixed in a phonogram, seventy years after 1 January of the calendar year following the first of these events.

II.-The term of the economic rights of phonogram producers is fifty years from 1 January of the calendar year following that of the first fixation of a sound sequence.

However, if, during this period, a phonogram is made available to the public by means of material copies or is communicated to the public, the economic rights of the phonogram producer expire seventy years after 1 January of the calendar year following the phonogram being made available to the public or, failing this, its first communication to the public. The performer may exercise the right of termination referred to in articles L. 212-3-5 and L. 212-3-6.

III.-The term of the economic rights of videogram producers is fifty years from 1 January of the calendar year following that of the first fixation of a sequence of images, with or without sound.

However, if, during this period, a videogram is made available to the public by means of material copies or is communicated to the public, the economic rights of the videogram producer expire fifty years after 1st January of the calendar year following the first of these events.

IV.-The term of the economic rights of audiovisual communication companies is fifty years from 1 January of the calendar year following that of the first communication to the public of the programmes mentioned in Article L. 216-1.

V.-.The term of the economic rights of press publishers and press agencies is two years from 1 January of the calendar year following that of the first publication of a press publication.

Mariela Petrova

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Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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