View source for Commons:Copyright rules by territory/Republic of the Congo/en

==Public domain and folklore: not free==
{{Comseealso|Commons:Paying public domain}}

Under the 1982 law, on the expiry of the terms of protection the authors' works shall fall into the public domain. 
The right of exploitation of works in the public domain shall be administered by the professional body of authors.{{sref|24/82 Art.84}}
The public performance and reproduction of such works shall require authorization from that body. 
The authorization shall be granted, in the case of a profit-making event, against payment of a royalty calculated on the gross revenue from exploitation. 
The product of such royalties shall be devoted to cultural and social ends for the benefit of Congolese authors.{{sref|24/82 Art.85}}

Folklore shall belong originally to the national heritage. Folklore means all literary and artistic productions created on the national territory by authors presumed to be Congolese nationals or by Congolese ethnic communities, passed from generation to generation and constituting one of the basic clements of the national traditional cultural heritage.{{sref|24/82 Art.15}}
Works of national folklore shall be protected without limitation in time.{{sref|24/82 Art.16}}
The public performance, or reproduction by any means whatsoever, of national folklore, with a view to exploitation for profit-making purposes shall be subject to prior authorization against payment of a fee.
The revenue from such fees shall be used for cultural and social purposes of benefit to Congolese authors.{{sref|24/82 Art.18}}