New technologies of production, processing, dissemination and exploration of digital information have deeply changed the traditional practices on the use and industry of information, electronic networks, tools and multimedia products. The president of Association de Professionnels de l'Information et de la Documentation (ADBS) presents the current position, before this new context, of his company as well as of other national and international partners. In addition to the author's and editor's rights, the user or consumer right (right to information, to knowledge, access to legal texts, etc.) must be taken into consideration. A distinction should be made between the author and the information works. The new sui generis right protects information products and services (e.g., databses) and seeks to set up a right which can protect economic investment without supporting the author's right. The legal use (fair use) of protected works must be preserved, as well as the private copyright use, in the new electronic context, and shall also play an important role in the future to assure democracy and knowlege development. Before the fast changes of technologies of information production, publishing and circulation, an equilibrium should be sought between the rights of information actors and spectators for knowledge and democracy development.
Author rights; Editor rights; Electronic copyright; Sui generis rights; Fair use right; Ethical, legal and societal rights