A Copyright Gambit : On the Need for Exclusive Rights in Digitised Versions of Public Domain Textual Materials in Europe

"European memory institutions are repositories of a wealth of rare documents that record public domain content. These documents are often stored in 'dark-archives' to which members of the public are granted limited access, resulting in the public domain content recorded therein being relegated to a form of 'forgotten-knowledge'. Digitisation offers a means by which such public domain content can be made speedily and easily accessible to users around the world. For this reason, it has been hailed as the harbinger of a new 'digital renaissance'. This book examines the topical issue of the need to preserve exclusivity over digitised versions of rare documents recording public domain content. Based on data gathered through an empirical survey of digitisation projects undertaken by fourteen memory institutions in five European Union member states, it argues for the introduction of exclusive rights in digitised versions of rare documents recording public domain textual content as a means of incentivising private-sector investment in the digitisation process. It concludes by presenting a detailed proposal for a European Union Regulation that would grant memory institutions a limited-term related right in digitised versions of rare documents held in their collections subject to stringent exceptions and limitations that are designed to safeguard user interests."-- Back cover Foreword 7 Acknowledgments 9 Contents 11 Chapter 1: Introduction 16 1.1 The Digitisation of Rare Documents 16 1.2 The Problem: An Overview 22 1.3 Do Restrictions Result in Exclusivity? 25 1.4 The Debate: An Overview 29 1.5 Will Exclusive Rights Lead to Enclosure? 33 1.6 Effects of Exclusivity on the Use and Access of Rare Materials 38 1.7 Need for a Comprehensive Policy 40 1.8 Summary 41 Chapter 2: Objectives and Methodology 43 2.1 Objectives of the Study 43 2.2 Scope and Definitions 44 2.2.1 Focus on Textual Content 44 2.2.2 Definitions 46 2.3 Methodology 47 2.3.1 Empirical Survey 47 2.3.2 Legal Analysis 49 2.4 Research Questions 49 2.5 The Title: `A Copyright Gambit ́ 51 Chapter 3: An Overview of Business Models Currently in Use 52 3.1 A Range of Business Models 52 3.2 A Tale of Two Markets 63 3.2.1 Strategy 1: Directly Cater to the User Market 64 3.2.2 Strategy 2: Cater to the Digitisation Market 68 3.3 Motivation to Cater to the Digitisation Market 69 3.4 Summary and Conclusions 71 Chapter 4: Is There a Need to Preserve Exclusivity Over Digitised Versions? 72 4.1 Rare Documents in the EU 72 4.2 Is There a Need for Mass-Digitisation? 72 4.3 Is There a Need to Channel Private Sector (for-Profit) Investment? 74 4.4 Is There a Need for Control? 77 4.4.1 Create Investment Incentives 78 4.4.2 Ensure Sustainability of the Digitisation Process 78 4.4.3 Maintain Relevance of Memory Institutions 79 4.5 Does the Maintenance of Control Require Exclusive Rights? 81 4.6 Price Discrimination as an Alternative Model 86 4.7 Absence of Exclusivity Could Lead to Market Failure 87 4.8 The Nature and Scope of the Exclusivity That Is Required 92 4.9 Who Should Be the Owner of the Exclusive Right? 94 4.9.1 Preservation of the Interests of the Public 95 4.9.2 Single Ownership to Prevent Fragmentation of Rights 95 4.10 Summary and Conclusions 98 Chapter 5: A Conceptual Basis for Justifying the Grant of an Exclusive Right 99 5.1 The Objective of the Proposed Exclusive Right 99 5.2 An Overview of the Principle Conceptual Foundations for Copyright 100 5.3 Applying the Incentive Theory to Digitisation 107 5.4 The Social Planning Theory as a Normative Influence 111 5.4.1 Transformative Use 113 5.4.2 Use for Educational Purposes and Use in Public Communication and Debate 114 5.4.3 Reproduction for Personal Non-commercial Purposes 114 5.4.4 Price Discrimination 115 5.4.5 Duration of the Proposed Exclusive Right 115 5.4.6 Preventing Contractual Provisions and DRM from Being Used to Bypass Exceptions and Limitations 116 5.5 Summary and Conclusions 117 Chapter 6: Adequacy and Suitability of Existing Protection Mechanisms 118 6.1 Commonly Used Mechanisms 118 6.1.1 Copyright Law 118 6.1.2 Contract Law 122 6.1.3 Digital-Rights-Management (DRM) Systems 122 6.2 Potential Mechanisms 124 6.2.1 Trade Mark Law 124 6.2.2 Database Protection 124 6.2.3 Equitable Remuneration (Fair Compensation) 127 6.3 Summary and Conclusions 128 Chapter 7: Can a Digitised Version Obtain Copyright Protection Within the EU? 131 7.1 An Overview of the Digitisation Process 132 7.2 Can a Digitised Version Be Protected Under Copyright Law Within the EU Law Framework? 138 7.3 The `Author ́s Own Intellectual Creation ́ Standard as a Harmonised Standard of Originality 142 7.3.1 CJEU Case Law 142 7.3.2 Analysis of the CJEU Case Law and Its Application to Digitised Versions 147 7.4 Protection Within the Legal Frameworks of the UK, Germany, and France 150 7.4.1 UK 150 7.4.1.1 The Traditional Copyright Law Framework 150 7.4.1.1.1 Originality of a Reproductive Work 154 7.4.1.1.2 Protection of Photographic Reproductions 162 7.4.1.2 Following CJEU Harmonisation 169 7.4.2 Germany 174 7.4.2.1 The Traditional Copyright Law Framework 174 7.4.2.1.1 A Digitised Version as a Lichtbildwerk Under Section 2(1)(5) of the German Copyright Act 175 7.4.2.1.2 Related Rights Protection of a Digitised Version as a Lichtbild Under Section 72 of the German Copyright Act 181 7.4.2.2 Following CJEU Harmonisation 189 7.4.3 France 192 7.4.3.1 The Traditional Copyright Law Framework 192 7.4.3.1.1 Objectification of the Classical Standard of Originality 194 7.4.3.1.2 Know-How 197 7.4.3.1.3 Originality of Reproductive Content 198 7.4.3.2 Following CJEU Harmonisation 200 7.5 Summary and Conclusions 202 Chapter 8: Why Are Related Rights the Best Mechanism? 204 8.1 What Are Related Rights? 204 8.1.1 International Landscape 206 8.1.2 Related Rights Within the EU Law Framework 208 8.1.3 Salient Features of the Concept of Related Rights 211 8.2 Why a Related Rights Regime? 213 8.2.1 Provide for Legislation to Replace the Current Regime of Private Ordering 213 8.2.2 Provide for a Period of Protection That Is Limited in Time 216 8.2.3 Achieving a Balance of Interests Through Exceptions and Limitations 217 8.2.4 Preference for a Related Right Over a sui generis Regime 218 8.3 Examples of Subject-Matter Protected Under Related Rights 219 8.3.1 Related Right for the Protection of Non-creative Photographs Under German Law 220 8.3.2 Related Right for Posthumous Publications Under EU Law 220 8.3.3 Protection for Typographical Arrangements Under UK Law 221 8.4 Determination of Ownership of the Related Right 222 8.5 How Would the PSI Directive Affect the Operation of the Related Right? 223 8.5.1 Impact of the PSI Directive on the Introduction of an Exclusive Related Right Over Digitised Versions 224 8.5.2 Impact of the PSI Directive on Exclusive Licences for Digitisation and the Commercial Exploitation of Digitised Versions 225 8.5.3 Impact of PSI Directive upon the Maintenance of Confidentiality of the License for Digitisation 229 8.5.4 Impact of PSI Directive on Ability to Make Re-Use of Digitised Versions Subject to Payment 231 8.6 Summary and Conclusions 232 Chapter 9: The Proposed Model 233 9.1 Core Elements 233 9.2 Central European Database 242 9.3 Scope of Related Right 252 9.4 Administrative Guidelines 269 9.4.1 Tender Procedure 270 9.4.2 Guidelines for Standardisation and Interoperability 271 9.5 Implications for Users 272 9.6 Summary and Conclusions 276 Chapter 10: Conclusion 277 10.1 Question 1: `Is There a Need to Preserve Exclusivity Over Digitised Versions of Rare Documents? ́ 277 10.2 Question 2: `Are Current Legal and Non-legal Mechanisms Sufficient Either Alone or in Combination (with or Without Modifi... 278 10.3 Question 3: `What Legal/Non-legal Mechanisms Could Be Introduced Within the EU, in Order to Ensure the Preservation of an... 279 Annex 281 Empirical Survey: Objectives, Design and Methodology 281 I. Objectives 281 II. Design 281 a. Main Sample: Memory Institutions 281 b. Data Collection 284 III. Methodology 284 a. Secondary Sample: Stakeholders 285 Bibliography 286 Books and Articles 286 Reports and Submissions 293 News Articles and Blog Articles 294 Legal Dictionaries and Encyclopaedias 295 Other Documents and Resources 295 Cases: Austria 296 Cases: Belgium 296 Cases: Canada 296 Cases: Court of Justice of the European Union 296 Cases: France 297 Cases: Germany 297 Cases: Israel 298 Cases: United Kingdom 298 Cases: United States 298 Legislation and Pre-enactment Material: European Union 299 Legislation and Pre-enactment Material: France 300 Legislation and Pre-enactment Material: Germany 300 Legislation and Pre-enactment Material: Ireland 300 Legislation and Pre-enactment Material: United Kingdom 300 Legislation and Pre-enactment Material: United States 300 Treaties and Conventions 300 Front Matter ....Pages i-xv Introduction (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 1-27 Objectives and Methodology (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 29-37 An Overview of Business Models Currently in Use (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 39-58 Is There a Need to Preserve Exclusivity Over Digitised Versions? (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 59-85 A Conceptual Basis for Justifying the Grant of an Exclusive Right (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 87-105 Adequacy and Suitability of Existing Protection Mechanisms (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 107-119 Can a Digitised Version Obtain Copyright Protection Within the EU? (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 121-193 Why Are Related Rights the Best Mechanism? (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 195-223 The Proposed Model (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 225-268 Conclusion (Sunimal Mendis)....Pages 269-272 Back Matter ....Pages 273-294