EU Database Directive and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997
The EU introduced the Database Directive in 1996 to provide a framework for the legal protection of Databases. The Directive created a new exclusive “sui generis” right for database producers. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, amendments were made to the Rights in Databases Regulations 1997 which ensure that holders of database rights that existed in the UK or EEA before 1 January 2021 will continue to exist in the UK and EEA for the rest of their duration. Further, the amendments created a new UK database right.
In May 2013 Judge Floyd ruled in the UK High Court of Justice that a sui generis database right exists for the database of live data produced on behalf of Football DataCo. This judgement was subsequently challenged but was upheld in the Court of Appeal in February 2013, removing any doubt that Football DataCo had rights to licence valuable matchday data.
Football DataCo uses these legal rulings when considering all aspects of its licencing programme.
Football DataCo uses these legal rulings when considering all aspects of its licencing programme.