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ARTICLE · 27 APRIL 1998

Databases - New Rules On Ownership Introduced In The UK

Andersen Legal
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United KingdomEnergy and Natural Resources
Databases are valuable assets for many businesses. New database regulations which came into force in the United Kingdom on 1 January 1998 have implications for information publishers and indeed for all businesses with data storage systems, whether computerised or manual. This bulletin sets out the major legislative changes brought about by the regulations and highlights the key practical implications for businesses.

The regulations have been debated in Europe for over five years. Now is the time for businesses to exploit the opportunity they provide.

The new law

The Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997 (the Regulations) implement the European Directive on Legal Protection of Databases that aims to harmonise intellectual property rights in databases across the European Union (EU). The regulations fall into two main parts. The first confers express copyright protection on databases under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 (the Act). The second

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