Student Projects:Database Protection:Damon

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Introduction to the Directive

The Directive on the Legal Protection of Databases (hereafter the Database Directive) was adopted by the EU in 1996, though the last member countries enacted legislation enforcing the directive in 2000. The Database Directive creates new rights for the owners of databases. It does this in two ways:

1. The Database Directive explicitly extends copyright protection to collections of data
2. It creates a new protection for databases as works in their own right. This sui generis protection aims “to prevent the unauthorized extraction and/or re-utilization of the contents of a database” [1]

These new protections offer a great deal of power to the owners of databases. They do so by placing severe restrictions on the use of those databases.

Defining the Directive

• What's it trying to accomplish
• What does it protect
• What exceptions does it allow and how have these been implemented

Enforcement of the Directive

• Germany
  • Medizinisches Lexicon 1998
  • Tele-Info-CD 1999
• UK
  • British Horseracing Board (BHB) v. William Hill Organization Ltd. (ECJ decision)
  • Fixtures Marketing cases (ECJ Decision)

Responses to the Directive

• Nauta Dutilh

Evaluating the Directive

Based on these observations, we will form an opinion of the success of the Directive in encouraging innovation and protecting investment. We will weigh those potentially positive effects against the barriers that the Directive has raised to legitimate scientific use of information.

Bibliography

1. . Council Directive No. 96/9/EC, O.J.L 77/20 (1996); available at http://europa.eu.int/ISPO/infosoc/legreg/docs/969ec.html
2. . Statutory Instrument 1997 No. 3032 (The Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997); available at http://www.hmso.gov.uk/si/si1997/1973032.htm
3. . Federal Act Establishing the General Conditions for Information and Communication Services (1997); available at http://www.iid.de/rahmen/iukdgebt.html
4. . P. B. Hugenholtz, “The new database right: Early case law from Europe” (2001); available at www.ivir.nl/publications/hugenholtz/fordham2001.html
5. . Eugene Russo, “EU Database Directive Draws Fire”, The Scientist Volume 16, Issue 14, Jul. 8, 2002; available at http://www.the-scientist.com/yr2002/jul/russo_p18_020708.html
6. . Commission Staff Working Paper on the review of the EC legal framework in the field of copyright and related rights (2004) ; available at http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/copyright/docs/review/sec-2004-995_en.pdf
7. . Database Directive 96/9/EC, European Commission Review (2002); available at http://www.eblida.org/topics/copyright/nautadutilh_aug02.doc
8. . “UK Court of Appeal Rules on First Case Involving Online Database Rights”. IP/TECH ADVISOR March 2002; available at http://www.goodwinprocter.com/publications/IPA_databaserightsUK_3_02.pdf
9. . “DATABASE PROTECTION NARROWED: BRITISH HORSERACING BOARD v WILLIAM HILL”; The Simkins Partnership; available at http://www.simkins.co.uk/ebulletins/archive/TAFDatabaseProtection.aspx
10. . JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Grand Chamber) 9 November 2004 (1); available at http://www.curia.eu.int/jurisp/cgi-bin/gettext.pl?lang=en&num=79958890C19020203&doc=T&ouvert=T&seance=ARRET&where
11. . “Press Release No. 89/04, 9 November 2004”; available at http://curia.eu.int/en/actu/communiques/cp04/aff/cp040089en.pdf
12. . “Program Schedules, Event Data and Telephone Subscriber Listings under the Database Directive”, P. Bernt Hugenholtz, 2003; available at http://www.ivir.nl/publications/hugenholtz/spinofffordham.html