Judgment of the Court (Grand Chamber) of 31 May 2016 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Landgericht Köln — Germany) — Reha Training Gesellschaft für Sport- und Unfallrehabilitation mbH v Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte eV (GEMA)
(Case C-117/15) 1
(Reference for a preliminary ruling — Intellectual property — Copyright and related rights — Directive 2001/29/EC — Article 3(1) — Directive 2006/115/EC — Article 8(2) — Concept of ‘communication to the public’ — Installation of television sets by the operator of a rehabilitation centre making it possible for patients to watch television programmes)
Language of the case: German
Referring court
Landgericht Köln
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicant: Reha Training Gesellschaft für Sport- und Unfallrehabilitation mbH
Defendant: Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte eV (GEMA)
Intervening parties: Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten mbH (GVL)
Operative part of the judgment
In a case such as that in the main proceedings, in which it is alleged that the broadcast of television programmes by means of television sets that the operator of a rehabilitation centre has installed in its premises affects the copyright and related rights of a large number of interested parties, in particular, composers, songwriters and music publishers, but also performers, phonogramme producers and authors of literary works and their publishers, it must be determined whether such a situation constitutes a ‘communication to the public’, within the meaning of both Article 3(1) 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 and Article 8(2) of Directive 2006/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on rental right and lending right and on certain rights related to copyright in the field of intellectual property and in accordance with the same interpretive criteria. Furthermore, those two provisions must be interpreted as meaning that such a broadcast constitutes an act of ‘communication to the public’.
____________1 OJ C 198, 15.6.2015.