1. What is Protected Database rights are protectable under the Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations (SI 1997 No 3032). A database is defined as a collection of independent works, data or other materials which are arranged in a systematic or methodical way and are individually accessible by electronic or other means. A property right (‘database…
Social networking sites such as MySpace and FaceBook are becoming increasingly popular. Most adults between the age of 18 and 30 seem to be registered on either or both of these social networking sites. FaceBook was among the fastest growing websites (according to comScore) last year – it saw a staggering 2,167% growth in the…
The following details are taken from the judgment of the court. The full judgment can be accessed here. Promusicae is a non-profit-making organisation of producers and publishers of musical and audiovisual recordings. By letter of 28 November 2005 it made an application to the Juzgado de lo Mercantil No 5 de Madrid (Commercial Court No…
Read More… from ISPs and File-exchangers’ IDs: Promusicae v Telefonica
Deloitte & Touche LLP, the business advisory firm, announced on 31 January details of a survey looking at security in the consumer business industry. Key findings from the survey reveal 80% of companies do not have an information security strategy formally defined and 86% have never performed an inventory to understand where their data is…
Do intellectual property rights still provide the right framework to promote innovation and protect investment in the fast moving world of technology? This pressing question brought a packed house to Linklaters on Wednesday 23 January to hear from the experts. When Trolls Attack The first speaker was Roger Burt of IBM who tackled the tricky…
In a paper published by the ICO on its Web site, the Information Commissioner sets out the case for changes to be made to the Data Protection Act 1998. The changes seek to create: • a penalty for knowingly or recklessly failing to comply with the data protection principles so as to create a substantial…
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SCL is delighted that Professor Lawrence Lessig has agreed to give the SCL Lecture 2008 at the Institution of Engineering and Technology. But IT lawyers and copyright experts may be in for a shock – they will not get the familiar tour of the virtues of free software and creative commons for Professor Lessig has…
The Institute of European Law at the University of Birmingham is to host a conference devoted to the analysis of Microsoft v EU. The Institute describes it as a landmark case both because of its findings and because of its future implications. Attendance at the Conference, which begins on Friday 6 May at 4 pm…
Read More… from Microsoft v EU: Conference on the IT Industry and the Future of Competition Law
The judgment has caused great excitement in IP circles. It now appears that if companies can show that their programs made a substantive inventive contribution they may be eligible for protection regardless of the fact that such programs were distributed on a computer disc. Last year, Astron Clinica Limited (producing skin-imaging technology that enables images…
The Online Purchasing of Goods and Services (Age Verification) Bill 2007-08 was introduced under the Ten Minute Rule Bill procedure by Margaret Moran, the Labour MP for Luton South. Although granted a Second Reading on 16 May and ordered to be printed, it has little chance of becoming law. However, this is said to be…