Another Database Right Infringer Goes To The Wall

The English High Court's recent decision in Executive Grapevine v Wall provides another example of claimants making good use of database right in order to protect their IPRs.

The subject matter of the case was a detailed database of email addresses and business contact information compiled by the claimant, with some 60,000 entries. As is so often the case in this type of litigation, the principal defendant (Mr Wall) was an ex-employee who, after his employment ended, accessed the database without its owner's permission. Even worse, he then proceeded to offer it for sale on eBay - not perhaps the cleverest tactic. And, to complete the circle, the parties who purchased the database from him then unwittingly offered to sell it back to the claimant!