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It may be transmitted mortis causa to the author's heirs.
The exercise thereof may be conferred on a third party pursuant to a will.
Article 23: Only the author shall be entitled to disclose his work. He shall determine the
procedure for disclosure and shall lay down the conditions thereof.
After the author's death, the right to disclose his posthumous works shall be exercised,
during their lifetimes, by the executor or executors appointed by the author. If there are
none, or after their death, and unless the author has willed otherwise, this right shall be
exercised in the following order: by the descendants; by a spouse in respect of whom
there is no final judgement of separation dating back more than six (6) years or who has
not remarried; by heirs other than descendants who inherit all or part of the estate; and
by the universal legatees or donees of the totality of the future assets.
This right may be exercised even after the exclusive right of exploitation has expired.
Article 24: In the event of nonexercise or manifest abuse of the right of disclosure by
the deceased author's representatives referred to in the preceding Article, the competent
court hearing the case may order any appropriate measure. The same shall apply where
there are no known successors in title or in the event of abeyance or escheat.
Such matters may be referred to the courts by the Minister responsible for culture.
Article 25: Notwithstanding assignment of his right of exploitation, an author shall enjoy
a right of reconsideration or withdrawal, even after publication of his work, with respect
to the assignee. However, he may exercise such right only on condition that he
indemnify the assignee beforehand for any prejudice which the reconsideration or
withdrawal may cause him. Where the author decides to have his work published after
having exercised the right to reconsider or withdraw, he shall be required to offer his
exploitation rights in the first instance to the assignee that he originally chose and under
the conditions originally determined.
Article 26: An audiovisual work shall be deemed to be completed when the final version
has been established by mutual agreement between the director or, where appropriate, the
joint authors, on the one hand, and the producer, on the other.
Destruction of the master copy of such version shall be prohibited.
Any alteration to such version through the addition, removal or change of any element
thereof shall require the agreement of the persons referred to in the first paragraph.
Any transfer of the audiovisual work to another type of medium with a view to a different
mode of exploitation shall be subject to prior consultation with the director.