Reports of Cases

published in the electronic Reports of Cases (Court Reports - general)

Subject-matter

Reference for a preliminary ruling - High Court of Justice (Chancery Division) - Interpretation of Articles 2(1) and 5(3) of Council Directive 91/250/EEC of 14 May 1991 on the legal protection of computer programs (OJ 1991 L 122, p. 42 – Extent of protection – Creation, directly or via a process such as decompilation of the object code, to create another computer program which replicates the functions of another computer program, protected by copyright, without access to the source code of the latter program.

Systematic classification scheme

Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

• Agreement with Third Countries or International Bodies - 21994A1223(17) -A09 : paragraph 4
• Agreement with Third Countries or International Bodies - 21994A1223(17) -A09P2 : paragraph 33
• Agreement with Third Countries or International Bodies - 21994A1223(17) -A10P1 : paragraphs 5, 34
• Agreement with Third Countries or International Bodies - 22000A0411(01) -A02 : paragraphs 6, 33
• Agreement with Third Countries or International Bodies - 22000A0411(01) -A04 : paragraph 7
• Directive 91/250 -A01 : paragraph 9
• Directive 91/250 -A01P1 : paragraph 30
• Directive 91/250 -A01P2 : paragraphs 1, 28 - 46, 52
• Directive 91/250 -A04LA : paragraphs 10, 43, 57
• Directive 91/250 -A04LB : paragraphs 10, 57
• Directive 91/250 -A05 : paragraph 11
• Directive 91/250 -A05P1 : paragraph 57
• Directive 91/250 -A05P3 : paragraphs 1, 28, 47 - 62
• Directive 91/250 -A06 : paragraph 12
• Directive 91/250 -A06P2LC : paragraph 60
• Directive 91/250 -A09 : paragraph 13
• Directive 91/250 -A09P1 : paragraph 53
• Directive 91/250 -C3 : paragraph 8
• Directive 91/250 -C7 : paragraphs 8, 36
• Directive 91/250 -C8 : paragraph 8
• Directive 91/250 -C14 : paragraphs 8, 32
• Directive 91/250 -C15 : paragraphs 8, 32
• Directive 91/250 -C17 : paragraphs 8, 58
• Directive 91/250 -C18 : paragraphs 8, 56
• Directive 91/250 -C21 : paragraph 8
• Directive 91/250 -C23 : paragraph 8
• Decision 94/800 : paragraph 4
• Directive 2001/29 : paragraphs 45, 64, 69
• Directive 2001/29 -A01 : paragraph 15
• Directive 2001/29 -A02LA : paragraphs 1, 16, 28, 63 - 70
• Directive 2001/29 -C20 : paragraph 14
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -5/08 : paragraphs 65, 67
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -393/09 : paragraphs 35, 37, 38, 45
• Court of Justice - Opinion C -406/10 : paragraphs 40, 57

Operative part

• Interprets : Directive 91/250 -A01P2
• Interprets : Directive 91/250 -A05P3
• Interprets : Directive 2001/29 -A02LA

Opinion

• Directive 91/250 -A01 : points 13, 74
  
• Directive 91/250 -A01P1 : points 42, 53, 60
  
• Directive 91/250 -A01P2 : points 2, 3, 6, 7, 37, 38, 41 - 90, 92, 123
  
• Directive 91/250 -A01P3 : point 65
  
• Directive 91/250 -A04 : point 14
  
• Directive 91/250 -A04LA : points 8, 84, 95, 101, 123
  
• Directive 91/250 -A04LB : points 8, 84, 95, 101, 123
  
• Directive 91/250 -A05 : point 15
  
• Directive 91/250 -A05P1 : points 8, 95, 96, 101, 123
  
• Directive 91/250 -A05P2 : point 17
  
• Directive 91/250 -A05P3 : points 4, 8, 17, 39, 91 - 101, 123
  
• Directive 91/250 -A06 : points 3, 7, 16, 17, 38, 78, 83 - 90, 123
  
• Directive 91/250 -A06P1 : points 84, 85, 88
  
• Directive 91/250 -A06P1LA : points 86, 89
  
• Directive 91/250 -A06P1LB : points 86, 89
  
• Directive 91/250 -A06P1LC : points 86, 89
  
• Directive 91/250 -A09P1 : points 17, 93
  
• Directive 91/250 -C1 : point 10
  
• Directive 91/250 -C11 : points 82, 84
  
• Directive 91/250 -C12 : point 84
  
• Directive 91/250 -C13 : points 12, 81
  
• Directive 91/250 -C14 : points 12, 42, 55, 73
  
• Directive 91/250 -C17 : point 96
  
• Directive 91/250 -C18 : point 94
  
• Directive 91/250 -C21 : points 85, 106
  
• Directive 91/250 -C23 : point 85
  
• Directive 91/250 -C4 : point 10
  
• Directive 91/250 -C5 : point 10
  
• Directive 91/250 -C8 : points 11, 65
  
• Directive 2001/29 -A01P1 : point 18
  
• Directive 2001/29 -A01P2LA : point 19
  
• Directive 2001/29 -A02 : points 106, 107
  
• Directive 2001/29 -A02LA : points 5, 9, 20, 40, 60, 102 - 123
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -5/08 : points 60, 106, 120
  
• Court of Justice - Judgment C -393/09 : point 49
  

Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

• 11/08/2010

Date of the Opinion

• 29/11/2011

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

02/05/2012

References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 346 from 18.12.2010, p.26

Judgment: OJ C 174 from 16.06.2012, p.5

Name of the parties

SAS Institute

Notes on Academic Writings

1. Trézéguet, Marlène: Absence de protection des fonctionnalités et du langage de programmation d'un logiciel, Droit de l'immatériel : informatique, médias, communication 2012 nº 78 p.21-22 (FR)
2. Costes, Lionel: Protection par le droit d'auteur des programmes d'ordinateur : les précisions de la CJUE, Droit de l'immatériel : informatique, médias, communication 2012 nº 82 p.20-21 (FR)
3. Castets-Renard, Céline: Limitations du droit d'auteur européen portant sur les logiciels, Droit de l'immatériel : informatique, médias, communication 2012 nº 83 p.6-10 (FR)
4. Panagiotidou, Efimia: Dikaio Meson Enimerosis & Epikoinonias 2012 p. 262-264 (EL)
5. Idot, Laurence: Protection juridique des programmes d'ordinateur, Europe 2012 Mai Comm. nº 7 p.284 (FR)
6. Spindler, Gerald: Grenzen des Softwareschutzes, Computer und Recht 2012 p.417-422 (DE)
7. Heymann, Thomas: EuGH: Kein Urheberrechtsschutz für Programmiersprache und Funktionalitäten eines Computerprogramms, Computer und Recht 2012 p.431-433 (DE)
8. Honkasalo, Pessi: Tietokoneohjelmien yhteentoimivuudesta - Euroopan unionin tuomioistuimen ratkaisu asiassa C-406/10, Lakimies 2012 nº 5 p.787-796 (FI)
9. Anderl, Axel: EuGH zur Schutzfähigkeit der Funktionalität, Programmiersprache und Dateiformate von Computerprogrammen, Ecolex 2012 p.628-629 (DE)
10. Geraci, Antonino: Copia di un software e violazione del diritto d'autore: la Corte di giustizia sul caso SAS c. WP, Il diritto industriale 2012 p.457-459 (IT)
11. Le Stanc, Christian: Droit du numérique. Logiciels: objet de la protection, Recueil Le Dalloz 2012 p.2343-2344 (FR)
12. Marly, Jochen: Der Schutzgegenstand des urheberrechtlichen Software­schutzes, Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz und Urheberrecht 2012 p.773-779 (DE)
13. Koelman, K.J.: AMI: Tijdschrift voor auteurs-, media & informatierecht 2012 p.171-182 (NL)
14. Eijsvogels, Frank W.E.: Intellectuele eigendom & Reclamerecht 2012 p.441-442 (NL)
15. Marino, Laure: Chronique de jurisprudence. Propriété littéraire et artistique. Arrêt SAS Institute : les limites de la protection des logiciels en droit d'auteur de l'Union européenne, Gazette du Palais 2012 nº 214 à 215 Jur. p.13 (FR)
16. Barker, Ed ; Harding, Iona: Copyright, the ideas/expression dichotomy and harmonization: digging deeper into SAS, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice 2012 p.673-679 (EN)
17. Nickless, David: Functionality of a computer program and programming language cannot be protected by copyright under the Software Directive, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice 2012 p.709-711 (EN)
18. Romițan, Ciprian Raul: Curtea de Justiţie a Uniunii Europene (Marea Cameră), cauza C-406/10 privind litigiul dintre SAS Institute Inc. v/s World Programming Ltd, Hotărârea din 2 mai 2012, Revista Romana de Dreptul Proprietatii Intelectuale 2012 p.206-225 (RO)
19. A., I.: AIDA - Annali italiani del diritto d'autore, della cultura e dello spettacolo (Ed. Giuffrè-Milano) 2012 p.535-538 (IT)
20. Hugenholtz, P.B.: Nederlandse jurisprudentie ; Uitspraken in burgerlijke en strafzaken 2013 nº 270 (NL)
21. Onslow, Robert ; Jamal, Isabel: Copyright Infringement and Software Emulation: SAS Inc v World Programming Ltd, European Intellectual Property Review 2013 p.352-356 (EN)
22. Noto la Diega, Guido: Le idee e il muro del suono. I programmi per elaboratore nella più recente giurisprudenza europea, Europa e diritto privato 2013 p.543-596 (IT)
23. Noto la Diega, Guido: I programmi per elaboratore e i confini del diritto d'autore. La Corte di Giustizia nega la tutela a funzionalità, linguaggio di programmazione e formato dei file di dati, Rivista di Diritto dell'Economia, dei Trasporti e dell'Ambiente (GIURETA) 2013 nº 11 p.69-96 (IT)
24. Sansone, Luigi A.: On the interpretation of Articles 1(2) and 5(3) of Council Directive 91/250/EEC of 14 May 1991 on the legal protection of computer programs and of Article 2(a) of Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society, LANDMARK IP DECISIONS OF THE EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE 2008-2013 (Ed. Larcier - Brussels) 2014 p.194-200 (EN)
25. Purzycki, Konrad: Dopuszczalność inżynierii wstecznej w prawie europejskim w świetle wyroku w sprawie SAS Institute Inc. Przeciwko World Programming LTD., Palestra: Pismo Adwokatury Polskiej 2018 Vol.3 p.34-39 (PL)

Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

High Court of Justice (England & Wales), Chancery Division - United Kingdom

Subject-matter

• Approximation of laws
  
• Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
  
• - Copyright and related rights
  

Provisions of national law referred to

Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, Designs and Patents Act 1988, s. 1(1)(a); 3(1)(a)-(d); 16(1)(a); 16(3); 16(4)(a); 17(1)-(2); 50BA(1)-(2); 296A(1)(c) Copyright (Computer Programs) Regulations 1992 Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003

Provisions of international law referred to

Convention de Berne pour la protection des oeuvres littéraires et artistiques (09/09/1886), articles 2, 9 et 20 Accord instituant l'Organisation mondiale du commerce - Annexe 1C - Accord sur les aspects des droits de propriété intellectuelle qui touchent au commerce (TRIPs) (15/04/1994), articles 9, 10 et 12 Traité de l'Organisation mondiale (OMPI) de la propriété intellectuelle sur le droit d'auteur (20/12/1996), articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 et 11

Procedure and result

• Reference for a preliminary ruling
  

Formation of the Court

grande chambre (Cour)

Judge-Rapporteur

Arestis

Advocate General

Bot

Language(s) of the Case

• English
  

Language(s) of the Opinion

• French