Protection for databases : the European Database Directive and its effects in the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom : proefschrift ter verkrijging van de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden, op gezag van de rector magnificus P.F. van der Heijden, volgens besluit van het College voor promoties te verdedigen op donderdag 7 juni 2007 klokke 16.15 uur

The European Database Directive introduced a new protection regime for database producers in 1996. This new sui generis right offers protection to producers who undertake a substantial investment in the protection of database. The sui generis right is the main focus of this book. Its most important concepts are extensively discussed, such as the criterion of the substantial investment, the definition of the producer, and the scope of the sui generis right. For this, a comparative study is made of the literature and case law of the Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom. Particular attention is paid to the important judgements which the European Court of Justice delivered on the sui generis right in November 2004. Furthermore, consideration is given to the (re)introduction of a compulsory licensing regime to ward off information monopolies. The book ends with a conclusion which contains proposals for a review of the Database Directive.