Selected year snapshot
For 2025, the active event in this file is Law of Turkmenistan on Copyright and Related Rights (No. 257-IV, as amended through No. 668-V of 25.11.2017).
60%
Current rationale
As of 2025, the Law on Copyright and Related Rights (2012, as amended 2017) remains in force. The most permissive research-relevant exception is Article 19, which permits reproduction of lawfully published works exclusively for personal purposes. This covers full-work reproduction (non-reprographic for books; any method for other works) by individuals for personal use. It does not cover sharing, communication, or distribution. It is restricted to personal (individual) use. There is no general fair use, fair dealing, TDM, or institutional/library exception. Article 20 permits only quotation/excerpts for scientific purposes, which is RED-level. The overall classification is LIGHT BLUE: reproduction of full works is permitted for personal purposes by individuals, covering most work types, but not sharing and not institutional use. Classification-neutral factors (non-commercial purpose, lawful publication requirement) were not factored into the color. No TDM-specific exception exists in Turkmenistan's copyright law as of 2025.
Exceptions considered
Free reproduction of lawfully published works exclusively for personal purposes, excluding architectural works as buildings, databases, computer programs, and reprographic reproduction of full books and musical texts
Quotation of lawfully published works for scientific, polemical, critical or informational purposes in the amount justified by the purpose of citation
Use of lawfully published works and excerpts as illustrations in educational publications in the amount justified by the purpose
Free reproduction of computer programs (backup copies) and decompilation for interoperability purposes
Law changes
Law of Turkmenistan on Scientific Intellectual Property (No. 755-XII)
Baseline · Effective 1990-01-01
?
Dates: Effective 1990-01-01
Why this score
Turkmenistan became independent on 27 October 1991. On 1990-01-01, the Turkmen SSR was part of the Soviet Union and Soviet copyright law (the 1961 Fundamentals of Civil Legislation of the USSR and the RSFSR Civil Code as applied) governed copyright. I was unable to retrieve the full statutory text of the Soviet-era copyright provisions as applied in the Turkmen SSR on 1990-01-01 via web search. The earliest Turkmenistan-specific IP legislation I can identify is the Law on Scientific Intellectual Property of 30 September 1992 (No. 755-XII), but this law primarily concerns patents and inventions, not copyright exceptions and limitations for research. The Civil Code of Turkmenistan (Part 4, adopted 17 July 1998, in force 1 March 1999) later addressed copyright. Because I cannot verify the actual statutory text of copyright exceptions in force on 1990-01-01 or in the early independence period, this baseline is classified as AMBIGUOUS.
Source links
Civil Code of Turkmenistan (Part 4) No. 294-I
Relevant update · Effective 1999-03-01
?
Relevant section: Articles 1060–1065 (Chapter 57, Section VI)
Dates: Effective 1999-03-01 · Enacted 1998-07-17
Why this score
The Civil Code of Turkmenistan Part 4 (adopted 17 July 1998, in force 1 March 1999) contained copyright provisions including limitations and exceptions in Chapter 57. WIPO Lex hosts a record for this law but I was unable to retrieve the full verbatim text of the exceptions articles via web search. Based on the structure typical of CIS civil codes of this era, it likely contained provisions on personal/private use and quotation, but I cannot verify the exact text. Classification remains AMBIGUOUS because the statutory text of the exceptions could not be confirmed.
Source links
Law of Turkmenistan on Copyright and Related Rights (No. 257-IV)
Relevant update · Effective 2012-01-10
60%
Relevant section: Articles 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Dates: Effective 2012-01-10 · Enacted 2012-01-10
Why this score
The 2012 Copyright Law provides several exceptions relevant to research. The most permissive is Article 19 (free use for personal purposes), which permits reproduction of a lawfully published work exclusively for personal purposes without consent or payment. This covers reproduction of full works by any individual for personal use, but it excludes: (1) architectural works as buildings, (2) databases or essential parts thereof, (3) computer programs, and (4) reprographic reproduction of books in full and musical texts. The exclusion of reprographic reproduction of full books is significant but the article still permits non-reprographic reproduction (e.g., handwritten, digital copying) of full books for personal purposes. Article 20 permits quotation and use of excerpts for scientific purposes but is limited to excerpts/citations justified by the purpose — this does not authorize full-work reproduction. There is no general fair use or fair dealing clause, no TDM exception, and no institutional/library exception that would be more permissive. Article 19 is the most permissive provision: it covers reproduction (not sharing/communication), applies to individuals only ('personal purposes'), and covers most types of works (with some exclusions). The personal-use qualifier restricts this to LIGHT BLUE. The exclusion of reprographic reproduction of full books and musical texts could push toward ORANGE, but since non-reprographic reproduction of full books remains permitted under Article 19, and other full works can be reproduced reprographically, the overall classification is LIGHT BLUE. Non-commercial restriction and lawful-publication requirements are classification-neutral factors and were not factored into the color decision.
Exceptions considered
Free reproduction of lawfully published works exclusively for personal purposes, excluding architectural works as buildings, databases, computer programs, and reprographic reproduction of full books and musical texts
Quotation of lawfully published works for scientific, polemical, critical or informational purposes in the amount justified by the purpose of citation
Use of lawfully published works and excerpts as illustrations in publications and broadcasts of educational character in the amount justified by the purpose
Free reproduction of computer programs (backup copies) and databases, decompilation for interoperability
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: Article 19. Free use of the work for personal purposes 1. It is allowed without the consent of the author or other copyright holder and without payment of author's remuneration to reproduce a lawfully published work exclusively for personal purposes, except for: 1) reproduction of works of architecture in the form of buildings and similar structures; 2) reproduction of databases or their essential parts; 3) reproduction of computer programs, except for the cases provided for in Article 22 of this Law; 4) reprographic reproduction of books (in full) and musical texts. Article 20. Free use of the work for informational, scientific, educational and cultural purposes It is allowed without the consent of the author or other copyright holder and without payment of author's remuneration, but with obligatory indication of the name of the author whose work is used, and the source of borrowing: 1) citation of lawfully published works for scientific, polemical, critical or informational purposes in the amount justified by the purpose of citation, including reproduction of excerpts from newspaper and magazine articles in the form of press reviews; 2) use of lawfully published works and excerpts from them as illustrations in publications, radio and television broadcasts, sound and video recordings of educational character in the amount justified by the purpose; 3) reproduction in newspapers, public communication by broadcasting or cable of lawfully published articles on current economic, political, social and religious topics or broadcast works of the same character in cases where such reproduction, public communication by broadcasting or cable was not specifically prohibited by the author; 4) reproduction in newspapers, public communication by broadcasting or cable of publicly delivered political speeches, addresses, reports and other similar works in the amount justified by the informational purpose; 5) reproduction or public communication for informational purposes of works seen or heard during current events, in the amount justified by the informational purpose; 6) reproduction of lawfully published works in Braille or other special ways for the blind without commercial purpose. Article 21. Free reproduction for judicial and administrative purposes It is allowed without the consent of the author or other copyright holder and without payment of author's remuneration to reproduce works for judicial and administrative proceedings in the amount justified by this purpose. Article 22. Free reproduction of computer programs and databases. Decompilation of computer programs [provisions on backup copies and interoperability] Article 23. Free use of works permanently located in places open to the public [provisions on works of architecture, fine art in public places] Article 24. Free public performance [provisions on performance at official and religious ceremonies, funerals] Article 25. Free reproduction for ephemeral purposes [provisions on ephemeral recordings by broadcasting organizations]
Source links
Law of Turkmenistan amending the Law on Copyright and Related Rights (No. 668-V)
Relevant update · Effective 2017-11-25
60%
Dates: Effective 2017-11-25 · Enacted 2017-11-25
Why this score
The 2012 Copyright Law was amended by Law No. 668-V of 25 November 2017. The consolidated text available at cis-legislation.com indicates the law was amended but I could not retrieve the specific changes made by this amendment to determine whether the exceptions in Articles 19–25 were affected. Based on the consolidated text available (which reflects amendments through 2017), the exceptions structure appears unchanged. The classification remains LIGHT BLUE based on Article 19 (personal use reproduction) being the most permissive exception, with the same analysis as the previous event.
Exceptions considered
Free reproduction of lawfully published works exclusively for personal purposes, with specified exclusions
Quotation for scientific, polemical, critical or informational purposes
Use of works and excerpts as illustrations in educational publications
Free reproduction of computer programs (backup) and decompilation for interoperability
Source links
Law of Turkmenistan on Copyright and Related Rights (No. 257-IV, as amended through No. 668-V of 25.11.2017)
Current law confirmation · Effective 2025-01-01
60%
Relevant section: Articles 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25
Dates: Effective 2025-01-01
Why this score
As of 2025, the Law on Copyright and Related Rights (2012, as amended 2017) remains in force. The most permissive research-relevant exception is Article 19, which permits reproduction of lawfully published works exclusively for personal purposes. This covers full-work reproduction (non-reprographic for books; any method for other works) by individuals for personal use. It does not cover sharing, communication, or distribution. It is restricted to personal (individual) use. There is no general fair use, fair dealing, TDM, or institutional/library exception. Article 20 permits only quotation/excerpts for scientific purposes, which is RED-level. The overall classification is LIGHT BLUE: reproduction of full works is permitted for personal purposes by individuals, covering most work types, but not sharing and not institutional use. Classification-neutral factors (non-commercial purpose, lawful publication requirement) were not factored into the color. No TDM-specific exception exists in Turkmenistan's copyright law as of 2025.
Exceptions considered
Free reproduction of lawfully published works exclusively for personal purposes, excluding architectural works as buildings, databases, computer programs, and reprographic reproduction of full books and musical texts
Quotation of lawfully published works for scientific, polemical, critical or informational purposes in the amount justified by the purpose of citation
Use of lawfully published works and excerpts as illustrations in educational publications in the amount justified by the purpose
Free reproduction of computer programs (backup copies) and decompilation for interoperability purposes
English rendering
[Unofficial translation]: Article 19. Free use of the work for personal purposes 1. It is allowed without the consent of the author or other copyright holder and without payment of author's remuneration to reproduce a lawfully published work exclusively for personal purposes, except for: 1) reproduction of works of architecture in the form of buildings and similar structures; 2) reproduction of databases or their essential parts; 3) reproduction of computer programs, except for the cases provided for in Article 22 of this Law; 4) reprographic reproduction of books (in full) and musical texts. Article 20. Free use of the work for informational, scientific, educational and cultural purposes It is allowed without the consent of the author or other copyright holder and without payment of author's remuneration, but with obligatory indication of the name of the author whose work is used, and the source of borrowing: 1) citation of lawfully published works for scientific, polemical, critical or informational purposes in the amount justified by the purpose of citation, including reproduction of excerpts from newspaper and magazine articles in the form of press reviews; 2) use of lawfully published works and excerpts from them as illustrations in publications, radio and television broadcasts, sound and video recordings of educational character in the amount justified by the purpose;