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Which raises a very interesting legal question: If the data is recompiled, despite having come from another source via an intermediary (who are using that data to describe the products they are selling), is it still subject to the database rights?

How about we try out a reductio ad absurdam: I'm going to start a startup. Our business model is to license the information on customers' websites, and then license it back to them in turn. This then means that anyone who uses our services in the UK can sue for copyright on lists of facts obtained by screen scrapers, as they've been through our database copyright washer. Think flight prices, hotels, cars, anything.

Is that a viable business model? If not, why not?



> is it still subject to the database rights

Someone is creating a phone book as a service to companies.

Elsewhere, these companies are publishing their phone numbers to get more customers.

Then the phone book creators demand license fees anywhere these phone numbers appear in lists.

It's very dubious "database rights" come into play at all.


That's a better demonstration of the principle than I managed, actually. It does seem faintly absurd, unless there's something else involved.




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