Legal Definitions - moral right

Definition: Moral right refers to the right of an author or artist to protect the integrity of their creation, even if they have sold or transferred the copyright or property rights to someone else. It is based on natural-law principles and includes the following rights:

• Attribution: The right to be given credit for a work, to claim credit for it, and to deny credit if the work is changed.
• Integrity: The right to ensure that the work is not changed without the artist's consent.
• Publication: The right not to reveal a work before its creator is satisfied with it.
• Retraction: The right to renounce a work and withdraw it from sale or display.

Moral rights are recognized by law in many European countries, but not as much in the United States.

Examples: An artist creates a painting and sells it to a collector. The collector decides to cut the painting in half and sell each piece separately. The artist can claim a violation of their moral right to integrity and take legal action to prevent the sale of the altered painting.

A writer publishes a book and later discovers that the publisher has made significant changes to the text without their consent. The writer can claim a violation of their moral right to integrity and take legal action to prevent the publication of the altered book.

These examples illustrate how moral rights protect the creator's non-economic interests in their work and ensure that their artistic vision is respected and preserved.