Case C‑138/11

Compass-Datenbank GmbH

v

Republik Österreich

(Reference for a preliminary ruling
from the Oberster Gerichtshof)

(Competition — Article 102 TFEU — Concept of ‘undertaking’ — Data of the companies register stored in a database — Activity of collection and making available of that data in return for remuneration — Refusal by the public authorities to authorise re-utilisation of that data — ‘Sui generis’ right provided for in Article 7 of Directive 96/9/EC)

Summary of the Judgment

1.        Competition — European Union rules — Undertaking — Concept — Exercise of an economic activity — Concept — Activities connected with the exercise of public powers — Excluded

(Art. 102 TFEU)

2.        Competition — European Union rules — Undertaking — Concept — Exercise of an economic activity — Public authority exercising an activity consisting of collection and making available of data communicated by undertakings pursuant to a legal obligation — Not an economic activity — Excluded — Remuneration in relation to searches or supply of information laid down by law — No effect — Prohibition by that authority of any other use of the data collected and made available to the public on the basis of the protection granted to makers of databases pursuant to Article 7 of Directive 96/9 — No effect

(Art. 102 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Directive 96/9, Art. 7)

1.        See the wording of the decision.

(see paras 35-39)

2.        The activity of a public authority consisting in the storing, in a database, of data which undertakings are obliged to report on the basis of statutory obligations, in permitting interested persons to search for that data and/or in providing them with print-outs thereof does not constitute an economic activity, and that public authority is not, therefore, to be regarded, in the course of that activity, as an undertaking, within the meaning of Article 102 TFEU. The fact that those searches and/or that provision of print-outs are carried out in consideration for remuneration provided for by law and not determined, directly or indirectly, by the entity concerned, is not such as to alter the legal classification of that activity. In addition, when such a public authority prohibits any other use of the data thus collected and made available to the public, by relying upon the sui generis protection granted to it as maker of the database pursuant to Article 7 of Directive 96/9 on the legal protection of databases, or upon any other intellectual property right, it also does not exercise an economic activity and is not therefore to be regarded, in the course of that activity, as an undertaking, within the meaning of Article 102 TFEU.

(see para. 51, operative part)