Dutch Broadcasters (de Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), RTL Nederland, SBS Broadcasting en Veronica) succeeded in summary proceedings before the Court of Amsterdam: Without permission De Telegraaf is not allowed to publish program details. On two Saturdays in June the readers of De Telegraaf found together with the newspaper a free program guide with TV listings for a week. In summary proceedings the Broadcasters claimed an injunction of the publication of the program details.
The Court ruled that these program details do not qualify for copyright protection. There were no creative choices, the program details are only a summary of which programs will be broadcast at what time. However, the Broadcasters can invoke protection of writings of article 10 of the Dutch Copyright Act. Furthermore, De Telegraaf acts in breach of the Dutch Media Act that provides that program details can not be disclosed without permission of the Broadcasters.
According to De Telegraaf from the CJEU decision in the Football Dataco case follows that databases can not be protected by copyright if the author has made no free and creative choices. The Dutch protection of writings for databases would be contrary to the Database Directive. And therefore program details would not be protected and free for publication. That defence cannot succeed.
At this moment it is politically examined whether the Dataco decision has implications for the Dutch Copyright Act. According to the court it can not anticipate any change in law. Moreover, in the Media Act the Dutch legislator has provided that the unauthorized disclosure of program details is considered a copyright infringement. Such protection is a political choice that the court can not ignore. That a legislative proposal is pending in which these regulations are amended does not make this any different. The court can not anticipate a political decision.
Until a possible change in law readers of De Telegraaf should be satisfied with an overview of TV programs per day or per weekend. That is what De Telegraaf and the Broadcasters agreed upon. An overview for one week is not allowed.
Kim Braber
|
office Emerald House Jozef Israëlskade 48-G Amsterdam, the Netherlands t +31 (0)20 - 305 3066 www.hoogenhaak.nl |
post PO Box 76780 1070 KB Amsterdam e info@hoogenhaak.nl f +31 (0)20 - 305 3069 chamber of commerce 34314579 |
Dutch Broadcasters (de Nederlandse Publieke Omroep (NPO), RTL Nederland, SBS Broadcasting en Veronica) succeeded in summary proceedings before the Court of Amsterdam: Without permission De Telegraaf is not allowed to publish program details. On two Saturdays in June the readers of De Telegraaf found together with the newspaper a free program guide with TV listings for a week. In summary proceedings the Broadcasters claimed an injunction of the publication of the program details.
The Court ruled that these program details do not qualify for copyright protection. There were no creative choices, the program details are only a summary of which programs will be broadcast at what time. However, the Broadcasters can invoke protection of writings of article 10 of the Dutch Copyright Act. Furthermore, De Telegraaf acts in breach of the Dutch Media Act that provides that program details can not be disclosed without permission of the Broadcasters.
According to De Telegraaf from the CJEU decision in the Football Dataco case follows that databases can not be protected by copyright if the author has made no free and creative choices. The Dutch protection of writings for databases would be contrary to the Database Directive. And therefore program details would not be protected and free for publication. That defence cannot succeed.
At this moment it is politically examined whether the Dataco decision has implications for the Dutch Copyright Act. According to the court it can not anticipate any change in law. Moreover, in the Media Act the Dutch legislator has provided that the unauthorized disclosure of program details is considered a copyright infringement. Such protection is a political choice that the court can not ignore. That a legislative proposal is pending in which these regulations are amended does not make this any different. The court can not anticipate a political decision.
Until a possible change in law readers of De Telegraaf should be satisfied with an overview of TV programs per day or per weekend. That is what De Telegraaf and the Broadcasters agreed upon. An overview for one week is not allowed.
Kim Braber