With the growth of the ‘data-driven economy’and the rise of ‘Big Data’ have come calls for the introduction of a novel property right in data. Apparently in response to demands from the German automotive industry, the European Commission has in its 2017 Communication on ‘Building a European data economy’ advanced the idea of creating a…

In the case Staatlich genehmigte Gesellschaft der Autoren, Komponisten und Musikverleger registrierte Genossenschaft mbH (AKM) V Zürs.net Betriebs GmbH (C-138/16, Judgment of 16 March 2017) the CJEU was called upon to decide once again on the seminal concept of communication to the public. The right of communication to the public, which has proved to be…

  On the 5 July 2017, the Institute for Information Law (IViR) of the University of Amsterdam organized its ‘Blockchain and Copyright Symposium’. For a brief introduction to this symposium and the topic, see our previous post. The symposium was divided into two parts. In the first part, following an introduction by IViR senior researcher…

A full summary of this case has been published on Kluwer IP Law and the case has been discussed on the Kluwer Copyright Blog here. The CJEU held that Article 9, particularly the concept of ‘access to cable of broadcasting services’, must be interpreted as not covering or permitting national legislation which provides that copyright…

Two and a half years after the first draft proposal of the European Commission, and following a number of contributions from the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament (see here for a summary of the approval process), on 30th June 2017 the EU finally…

On 14 June 2017, the CJEU handed down its highly anticipated decision in Case C-610/15, Stichting Brein v Ziggo. As was reported on this blog when the Advocate General’s Opinion was released, the case represents the first time that the liability proper (i.e. for damages, as opposed to mere injunctions) of an internet intermediary for…

A full summary of this case has been published on Kluwer IP Law and the case has been discussed on the Kluwer Copyright Blog here. The CJEU held that EU law, particularly Article 5(2)(b) of Directive 2001/29, precludes national legislation that subjects exemption from payment of the private copying levy for producers and importers of…

Blockchain technology seems to be all the rage nowadays. In simple terms, blockchain enables parties who do not know or trust each other to maintain a common set of records without the need for a trusted third party intermediary. Bitcoin, the first major successful cryptocurrency, uses blockchain to keep track of the supply and flow…

A full summary of this case has been published on Kluwer IP Law and the case has been discussed on the Kluwer Copyright Blog here. The CJEU held that the price of a hotel room should not be regarded as an ‘entrance fee’ in relation to the exclusive right of broadcasters provided for in Article…

In recent years, the Court of Justice has issued a growing number of decisions in response to questions referred for a preliminary ruling on the concept and delimitation of the right of communication to the public in the European Union.  CJEU case-law on the topic is currently overwhelming. The particular features of each of the…