How to Report Copyright Infringement in Greece (HCO Complaints, Blocking Orders & Remedies)

If you need to know how to report copyright infringement in Greece, the landscape in 2026 is significantly different from even two years ago. Law 5179/2025, published in the Official Government Gazette on 20 February 2025 (ΦΕΚ A΄ 26/20. 02. 2025), amended Article 65A of Law 2121/1993, Greece’s principal copyright statute, to expand administrative anti-piracy tools, streamline blocking-order procedures and introduce a clear framework for administrative fines. A subsequent Joint Ministerial Decision (Government Gazette B΄ 4218/4-8-2025) fleshed out the fines procedure, giving the Hellenic Copyright Organization (OPI/ΟΠΙ) sharper enforcement teeth than it has ever possessed.

This guide walks rights owners, in-house counsel and their Greek-based agents through every available route, from an administrative complaint to OPI, to ISP blocking orders, to full civil and criminal proceedings, so that the right remedy can be deployed at the right time.

Quick Answer: How to Report Copyright Infringement in Greece

For rights holders who need immediate direction, the reporting process in Greece can be distilled into five core steps. Each step is explored in detail in the sections that follow.

1. Preserve evidence immediately. Capture screenshots, download page source code, record timestamps and secure any chain-of-title documentation before infringing content is moved or deleted.
2. Choose your enforcement route. Decide whether the Hellenic Copyright Organization (OPI) administrative complaint under Article 65A is your first step, or whether the severity of the infringement warrants a direct civil injunction or a criminal complaint to the public prosecutor.
3. File a complaint with OPI (HCO). Submit your complaint via the OPI protocol (protocol@opi.gr), attaching ownership proof, infringing URLs and a signed declaration of accuracy.
4. Request a blocking order or ISP takedown. Once OPI investigates and issues findings, request coordination with the Hellenic Telecommunications and Post Commission (EETT) and ISPs for site blocking. Alternatively, seek a court-ordered injunction, including a dynamic blocking injunction, for faster or broader relief.
5. Pursue damages and follow-up enforcement. Where financial loss is material, initiate civil proceedings for compensation, or support a criminal prosecution for wilful commercial infringement.

Who Can File and Where: OPI, ISPs, Courts and Police

The Hellenic Copyright Organization (OPI/ΟΠΙ)

OPI is Greece’s dedicated administrative authority for copyright and related rights. It sits under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and operates as the first point of contact for rights holders seeking administrative enforcement. Complaints are accepted by post or electronically via protocol@opi.gr. OPI’s remit under the copyright law of Greece extends to receiving complaints, conducting investigations, coordinating blocking referrals and, since the 2025 amendments, imposing or recommending administrative fines (OPI, Frequently Asked Questions, opi.gr).

ISP Takedown vs Court Injunction

Rights owners can also approach internet service providers and hosting platforms directly, requesting takedown of specific infringing content. Major platforms operating in Greece will typically respond to formal notices modelled on the EU’s Digital Services Act notice-and-action framework. However, a platform-level takedown only removes one instance of the content. For persistent or large-scale infringement, an ISP-level blocking order, obtained either administratively through OPI or through the civil courts, is far more effective. Court injunctions, including dynamic blocking orders that extend automatically to mirror sites, offer the broadest protection.

Criminal Complaint to the Public Prosecutor

Where the infringement is intentional and conducted on a commercial scale, Greek criminal law provides an additional avenue. A criminal complaint (mēnysi) can be filed with the competent public prosecutor or the police. Criminal penalties for copyright infringement under Law 2121/1993 can include imprisonment and substantial fines (ICLG, Copyright Laws and Regulations Report 2026, Greece). This route is generally reserved for serious, systematic piracy operations; the evidentiary threshold is higher than for administrative or civil proceedings.

What Changed: Law 5179/2025 and the Amended Article 65A

Understanding what is the new law in Greece for pirating is essential context for any enforcement strategy in 2026. Law 5179/2025 introduced several targeted amendments to Article 65A of Law 2121/1993, the provision that had already established administrative blocking powers. The practical effects of the 2025 amendments include expanded scope for administrative intervention, the explicit introduction of administrative fines, clearer language on dynamic blocking and reduced procedural ambiguity around evidence thresholds (FEK A΄ 26/20.02.2025, e-nomothesia.gr).

The accompanying Joint Ministerial Decision, published in Government Gazette B΄ 4218/4-8-2025, set out the detailed procedure for the imposition and collection of administrative fines under the amended Article 65A, including the schedule of fines, notice requirements and rights of the party subject to a fine (OPI News, Joint Ministerial Decision, opi.gr). Industry observers expect the combined effect of these instruments to make OPI’s administrative route a genuinely viable first-line remedy, rather than the slower, largely advisory mechanism it was perceived as before 2025.

The table below summarises the key legislative milestones that shape copyright in Greece today.

Step-by-Step: How to Report Copyright Infringement in Greece via an HCO Administrative Complaint

The administrative complaint to OPI under Article 65A is the most accessible enforcement mechanism for most rights holders. Below is a detailed walkthrough of the filing process.

Before Filing: Preserve Evidence and Establish Your Chain of Title

Evidence preservation should begin the moment infringement is discovered. Time-sensitive digital evidence, webpage snapshots, streaming logs, download links, server headers, can disappear within hours if the infringer is alerted. Best practice includes the following steps:

• Screenshots and screen recordings. Capture the infringing content with visible URL bars and timestamps. Use trusted archiving tools (e.g., the Wayback Machine, or a certified screenshot service) where possible.
• Page source code. Save the HTML source of the infringing page as an additional form of proof.
• Chain-of-title documents. Assemble copyright assignment agreements, contracts with authors, original creation files with metadata, or certificates of deposit with OPI or a collecting society.
• Notarised evidence. For high-value claims, consider having a notary authenticate the evidence package. While not mandatory for an OPI complaint, notarised evidence strengthens any subsequent civil or criminal action.

Documentation to Attach: Evidence Checklist

How to Submit the OPI Complaint

OPI accepts complaints through its electronic protocol at protocol@opi.gr. The complaint should include the following elements:

1. Complainant’s details, full legal name, address, contact telephone and email.
2. Description of the copyrighted work, title, nature (film, music, software, literary work, etc.) and the basis of ownership.
3. Details of the infringement, exact URLs, IP addresses or domain names where the work is being offered or distributed without authorisation, together with a description of the infringing activity.
4. Evidence package, the documents listed in the checklist above, attached as PDFs or clearly labelled files.
5. Declaration of accuracy, a solemn declaration (ypefthyni dilosi) under Law 1599/1986 affirming the truthfulness and accuracy of the complaint.

There is no filing fee for an administrative complaint to OPI. After submission, OPI will acknowledge receipt and assign the complaint for investigation. Early indications suggest that acknowledgement typically arrives within one to four weeks. The investigation phase, during which OPI may request additional information, contact ISPs or coordinate with EETT, can take four to twelve weeks depending on complexity (OPI FAQ, opi.gr; Law 2121/1993, library.opi.gr).

What Happens After OPI Receives the Complaint

Once the complaint is registered, OPI’s investigators will verify the claim, assess the evidence and, where justified, proceed to one or more of the following actions: issue a recommendation for ISP blocking via coordination with EETT; initiate the administrative fines procedure under the Joint Ministerial Decision (B΄ 4218/4-8-2025); or refer the matter to the competent judicial authorities if criminal conduct is suspected.

Blocking Orders and ISPs: Administrative Blocking, Court Orders and Dynamic Blocking

How Blocking Works After an OPI Finding or Court Injunction

Once OPI concludes that an infringement complaint is well-founded, it coordinates with EETT and Greek ISPs to implement a blocking order. The types of blocking available include DNS-level blocking (domain name), IP-address blocking and URL-path blocking. The method chosen depends on the technical circumstances and the scope of the infringing activity. In parallel, rights holders can obtain blocking orders directly from the civil courts, a route that may be faster in urgent cases.

Administrative Blocking Under Art. 65A vs Civil Blocking Injunctions

The key distinction is procedural. Administrative blocking under Article 65A follows OPI’s investigative process and does not require a court hearing, making it a lower-cost option for rights holders protecting their intellectual property across borders. Civil blocking injunctions, by contrast, are issued by a court and carry the full weight of a judicial order, including contempt sanctions for non-compliance. Civil injunctions also offer the possibility of dynamic blocking, where the order extends automatically to cover mirror sites, proxies and other circumvention mechanisms that replicate the blocked content under different domains.

The EUIPO’s study on dynamic blocking injunctions across the EU confirmed that Greece is among the Member States that have embraced this mechanism, and the 2025 amendments to Article 65A further clarified its applicability in the administrative context (EUIPO, Dynamic Blocking Injunctions in the EU, euipo.europa.eu).

Reporting Obligations and Typical Remedies by Entity

Civil vs Criminal Remedies: When to Choose What

Civil Remedies: Injunctions, Damages and Disclosure

Civil proceedings remain the primary route for rights holders seeking financial compensation. Under the copyright law of Greece (Law 2121/1993), available civil remedies include interim and permanent injunctions, orders for the destruction or recall of infringing copies, disclosure orders compelling ISPs to reveal the identity of infringers, and damages, calculated on the basis of actual loss, the infringer’s profits or a reasonable royalty (Law 2121/1993, library.opi.gr; ICLG Copyright 2026, Greece). Interim measures can be obtained on an emergency basis from the competent single-member first-instance court, often within days.

The statute of limitation for tortious claims, which includes copyright infringement claims, is five years from the date the rights holder became aware of the infringement and the identity of the infringer, with an overarching twenty-year absolute limitation period. Rights holders should therefore act promptly: delayed enforcement not only weakens evidentiary positions but risks hitting these limitation bars.

Criminal Route: Wilful and Commercial Infringement

Criminal enforcement targets intentional infringement conducted on a commercial scale. Penalties under Law 2121/1993 can include imprisonment and fines, and the criminal process can result in seizure of infringing equipment and stock. A criminal complaint is filed with the public prosecutor or directly with the police. The evidentiary burden is higher than in civil or administrative proceedings: the prosecution must establish intent and, for aggravated offences, commercial purpose. For most digital piracy cases, the criminal route is pursued in parallel with, rather than instead of, administrative or civil action.

Parallel Filing Strategy

In practice, a robust enforcement strategy often involves filing an OPI administrative complaint first (to trigger rapid blocking), while simultaneously preserving civil claims and evaluating whether the facts support a criminal complaint. This parallel approach ensures that infringing content is taken down quickly through the administrative channel, while the longer civil process for damages and disclosure proceeds on its own timeline. It is an approach frequently seen in the international intellectual property enforcement context and is equally applicable in Greece.

Practical Timelines, Costs and Risks

Understanding realistic timelines is critical for any rights holder planning how to report copyright infringement in Greece. The following decision flowchart provides a practical overview:

1. Hour 0–24: Evidence preservation. Immediately capture and secure all digital evidence. Engage a Greek attorney if one is not already instructed.
2. Week 1–2: File OPI complaint. Submit the administrative complaint and evidence package via protocol@opi.gr. Simultaneously assess whether an emergency court injunction is warranted.
3. Week 2–6: OPI investigation and blocking referral. OPI reviews the complaint, may request additional information and coordinates with EETT/ISPs if blocking is recommended.
4. Week 1–6 (parallel): Court injunction. If the civil route is pursued concurrently, an interim injunction application can be filed and heard within this window.
5. Ongoing: Civil damages / criminal investigation. Full civil proceedings for damages may take months to over a year. Criminal investigations operate on their own timeline and depend on prosecutorial resources.

Costs: Filing an administrative complaint with OPI carries no government fee. Civil proceedings involve court fees, lawyer’s fees and potentially expert witness costs. Criminal complaints have no filing fee, but legal representation is advisable throughout.

Risks to consider: Infringers may relocate content to new domains (mitigated by dynamic blocking orders); jurisdiction challenges arise where servers are hosted abroad; and retaliatory action, such as counter-complaints or GDPR-related objections, is not uncommon. As discussed in the context of anti-piracy penalties, the legislative trend across Europe is toward stronger rights-holder protections, but enforcement still requires diligent evidence management.

What to Expect After Filing: Enforcement, Appeals and Follow-Up

Possible Outcomes

After filing, the most common immediate outcome is the blocking of infringing websites or pages by ISPs, either on OPI’s recommendation or under a court order. Administrative fines may also be imposed under the Joint Ministerial Decision (B΄ 4218/4-8-2025) where the infringer or a non-compliant intermediary is identifiable and within Greek jurisdiction. In civil proceedings, a successful injunction will be enforced by bailiffs, and damages awarded by the court are collected through standard enforcement mechanisms.

Appeals and Further Recourse

Parties subject to OPI administrative decisions or fines have the right to challenge them before the competent administrative courts. Civil court orders, including injunctions, are subject to the ordinary appellate process. Data preservation orders may be sought from the courts to ensure that ISPs retain relevant log data pending the outcome of civil or criminal proceedings, a step that is particularly important where the infringer’s identity is unknown.

For rights holders with assets or infringers in multiple jurisdictions, enforcement of foreign judgments under the Brussels I Regulation (Recast) or bilateral treaties is a further consideration. Coordinating Greek enforcement action with parallel proceedings elsewhere is a well-established practice; the international intellectual property guide provides further context on cross-border strategies.

How to Find a Greece Copyright Lawyer

Enforcement of copyright in Greece, whether through OPI’s administrative route, the civil courts or a criminal complaint, requires detailed knowledge of both the substantive law and the evolving procedural landscape. Rights holders benefit from early engagement with a Greek attorney who specialises in intellectual property and is experienced with OPI procedures, ISP coordination and court-ordered blocking injunctions.

The Global Law Experts directory for Greece lists vetted intellectual property practitioners. When preparing for a first consultation, bring the following:

• All evidence of the infringement (screenshots, URLs, timestamps)
• Proof of copyright ownership (contracts, original files, deposit certificates)
• A brief timeline of when infringement was first discovered
• Any prior correspondence with ISPs or platforms
• Details of any parallel enforcement actions in other jurisdictions

For a broader view of available legal professionals, the Global Law Experts lawyer directory allows filtering by practice area and region.

Sources

1. Hellenic Copyright Organization (OPI), Frequently Asked Questions
2. OPI News, Joint Ministerial Decision (Government Gazette B΄ 4218/4-8-2025)
3. Official Government Gazette (FEK), Law 5179/2025
4. Law 2121/1993, OPI Library (Consolidated Text)
5. ICLG, Copyright Laws and Regulations Report 2026 (Greece)
6. EUIPO, Study on Dynamic Blocking Injunctions in the European Union
7. WIPO Lex, Greece: Ministerial Decisions and Enforcement Resources
8. Lexology, Greece Copyright Country Notes