Case C-117/13, Technische Universität Darmstadt – introducing modern EU copyright law

When a university library scans a book to permit the electronic reading of a book, can the book’s publisher put a stop to this unauthorised reproduction? And can a German university successfully invoke a ‘library’ exception enshrined in the EU’s InfoSoc Directive 2001/29?

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Case C-212/13, Ryneš – data from private CCTV cameras overlooking public spaces and private homes

Does a home owner’s camera security-system bring him within the scope of the EU’s data processing Directive 95/46/EC? And does it matter that the CCTV camera not only captures images of his home but also of who happens to be passing by in the street outside, and it even records who is going into a home on the opposite side of the street?

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Case C-201/13, Johan Deckmyn – parody in EU law

Belgium has a tradition of creating comic book figures. Tintin is perhaps the most famous comic book character but another popular comic strip chronicles the adventures of ‘Spike and Suzy’ [Suske and Wiske]. Comic books can be protected by copyright. In this reference, the issue is whether the right holders can stop a political party from circulating a picture that spoofs the cover of a Spike and Suzy story.

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Case C-574/12, Centro Hospitalar de Setúbal and SUCH – Teckaling similar control for the ‘in-house’ exception to EU procurement law

EU public procurement law regulates the awarding of lucrative contracts offered by public bodies. A decade ago, the CJEU created an exception to EU procurement law for ‘in-house’ procurement. As formulated in Case C-107/98, Teckal the scope of the exception was rather vague, however. The CJEU has recently been refining the scope of the exception. In this reference, the issue is whether the exception applies when the contractee is an organisation whose members include private charitable institutions.

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