Francesco Poli wrote: > Can anyone more knowledgeable than me on these topics shed some light, > please? > The main question is: do I really need a copyright license to use, > modify and/or redistribute such a (published) database?
If the selection of the data that was put in the database involved creative activity by its maker, then yes you need a copyright license. If the database was created by a European company, then you need a license under its database right. (No database rights for US publishers) You do not need a license from the database publisher to create a program that can read databases in the format used by that database. A format or structure is a mere idea or concept and is not covered by copyright. If you have to sign an NDA before you get a copy of the database, then you can't create a free or open source program that can read that database format. That would be leaking of confidential information. Arnoud -- Arnoud Engelfriet, Dutch & European patent attorney - Speaking only for myself Patents, copyright and IPR explained for techies: http://www.iusmentis.com/ Arnoud blogt nu ook: http://blog.iusmentis.com/ -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
