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Database meaning

Published by a LexisNexis IP expert
What does Database mean?
In legal practice, a database is a structured collection of independent items—such as documents, records or datasets—organised so each item can be accessed separately, whether electronically or on paper. The concept is defined in legislation derived from the EU Database Directive 96/9/EC and reflected in UK law (CDPA 1988, as amended, and the copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997) and in Irish copyright legislation. Key legal features are: (1) a systematic or methodical arrangement of contents; and (2) individual accessibility of those contents. A database may attract protection in two ways. Copyright subsists if, through the selection or arrangement of the contents, the database is the author’s own intellectual creation. Separately, a sui generis database right may subsist where there has been substantial investment in obtaining, verifying or presenting the contents, protecting against the extraction or re‑utilisation of a substantial part. These rights are central to ownership, licensing, access, scraping and data re‑use disputes, and are frequently negotiated in IT, outsourcing and procurement contracts. Across England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, the definition and core tests are broadly consistent. Post‑Brexit, eligibility for the sui generis database right diverges: new UK databases generally qualify only for UK database right, and...
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View the related Checklists about Database

CHECKLISTS
Taking security over IP in the UK: lender checklist on mortgages and charges, ownership, validity, valuation, associated rights, and registration at Companies House and IP registries

Consider the nature of the IP right From a lender’s standpoint, use this checklist to pinpoint key points when taking IP as security and the steps to implement it... Identify the IP right and applicable law; patents, trade marks, registered designs and copyright can be mortgaged or charged... Select security: a legal mortgage (assignment plus redemption and exclusive licence‑back) offers stronger control than a fixed charge; for charges, restrict disposals and hold an executed undated assignment in escrow (verify foreign recognition)... Confirm ownership, term, existing security, licences and third‑party interests; demand warranties and title evidence, especially for unregistered rights... Assess validity and maintenance: search prior rights, check renewals and genuine use, monitor infringement, review litigation; obtain professional opinions where needed... Value the right and routes on default (licensing or sale); add complementary assets if required... Cover associated rights and materials: unregistered marks/goodwill (only with the business), unregistered designs, database right, know‑how/confidential information, domain names, and software/source code with escrow... Register...

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CHECKLISTS
UK anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy strategy checklist: enforcement options, HMRC and Trading Standards engagement, online/AI monitoring, budget and team management, precedents, website blocking, and success metrics

This Checklist covers the key considerations when formulating a strategy to combat counterfeiting and piracy. Use this Checklist together with Practice Note: Anti-counterfeiting and anti-piracy—strategy. Begin by evaluating how widespread the issue is. Consider who has been consulted: Internal teams close to the market, such as customer services dealing with consumer complaints External investigators gauging counterfeit prevalence across specific channels (online and in store) and carrying out test purchases Agencies including the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (‘Trading Standards’) and HMRC Internet service providers and website operators where targets largely trade online Be aware that staff or members of the public may spot fake goods in shops, market stalls, at events or while on holiday and may proactively alert the rights holder. Confirm whether the following key details have been established: Most affected territories Most affected products Health and safety concerns Degree of risk to consumers and brand value Principal perpetrators Any...

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CHECKLISTS
Fraud red flags in UK road traffic personal injury claims: a practitioner’s checklist

Claimant Claimant's history Has the claimant previously pursued personal injury claims? This can be verified via the Claims Underwriting Exchange (CUE) database, which records all claims that have been lodged with an insurer. Nature of the injuries Do the reported injuries align with, and are they proportionate to, the overall seriousness of the collision event? High occupancy A crowded vehicle (ie several passengers) does not, by itself, prove fraud, yet it may still be relevant where an accident is alleged to have been engineered or staged. No reason to stop Where the defendant maintains the claimant’s car braked without cause, this may potentially point to a set-up incident. Late reported claim Although claimants ordinarily have three full years to bring a claim, when a claim reaches an insurer more than six months after the accident date, without any credible reason at all (eg a prolonged hospital stay, or the claimant’s insurer struggled to identify the defendant’s insurer), there is a...

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View the related Flowcharts about Database

FLOWCHARTS
Archived Flowchart: Final Payment Process under JCT Standard Building Contract 2011 (With Quantities, Without Quantities and With Approximate Quantities)

This decision tree sets out a logical route to assess whether you may carry out postal direct marketing and, if so, who you can target. For other types of marketing, refer to: Direct marketing decision tree—email and other electronic mail marketing—data protection and Direct marketing decision tree—live telephone calls—data protection. Direct marketing is the communication—by any means—of advertising or marketing material directed at specific individuals. Note 1—personal data and corporate targets Postal marketing addressed to named individuals taken from your customer database involves processing personal data. The scope of personal data is broad enough to capture business-to-business marketing, particularly post sent to named individuals in their professional role: ‘Personal data’ covers any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person...

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FLOWCHARTS
PSLA General Damages ‘Today’s Value’ calculation: RPI, Heil v Rankin and Simmons v Castle uplifts; mesothelioma exception (England and Wales) — flowchart

Practice Note: Protective costs orders (PCOs) in environmental matters This flowchart sets out the situations relevant to protective costs orders (PCOs) in environmental law cases. For information, refer to Practice Note: Protective costs orders (PCOs) in environmental matters...

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View the related News about Database

NEWS
UK subsidy control: DBT confirms refinements—CMA SSoPI referral threshold to £25m, new streamlined routes (arts/culture, community regeneration), database reporting fix, guidance updates

Subsidy control Government releases response and adjustments to the subsidy control regime after consultation, as the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) published the government response to a consultation from November 2024 on proposals to refine the UK subsidy control regime...

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NEWS
UK TMT weekly briefing: Getty v Stability AI trade mark ruling; OSA age assurance; High Court database right decision; ICO spam fine; ASA decision; spectrum trading amendments

In this issue: Media Internet Databases Data protection Advertising, marketing and sponsorship Telecommunications LexTalk®TMT: a Lexis®Nexis community Daily and weekly news alerts New and updated content Dates for your diary Trackers Useful information Media Getty gets pyrrhic victory in UK stability AI case Law360, London: On 4 November 2025, Getty Images persuaded a London court that artificial intelligence (AI) developer Stability AI had produced a small number of images infringing the stock image company’s trade marks. However, the court was not convinced that the model itself breached the photo giant’s intellectual property in this landmark dispute. See: Getty gets pyrrhic victory in UK stability AI case. Internet Ofcom launches call for evidence on age assurance effectiveness and app store safety under OSA 2023 Ofcom has opened a call for evidence to inform two statutory reports required by the Online Safety Act 2023 (OSA 2023). The reports will review...

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NEWS
UK law firm compliance update: OFSI sanctions guidance, AML/CTF developments including EU AML database reporting, ICO fining guidance, SRA claims management warning and reforms evaluation—9 May 2024

In this issue: Financial sanctions AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing Economic crime Data protection Other Practice Compliance updates this week Daily and weekly news alerts Trackers New and updated content Financial sanctions OFSI updates Enforcement and Monetary Penalties guidance The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) has revised its Enforcement and Monetary Penalties guidance, with most changes focused on chapter 3 covering case assessment. The revision sets out how ‘case factors’ are considered and allocated when scrutinising suspected financial sanctions breaches. Two separate factors have been added: ‘knowledge, intention and reasonable cause to suspect’ and ‘co-operation’. OFSI also notes a change in chapter 6 regarding the delegation of ministerial reviews of monetary penalties. See: LNB News 02/05/2024 20. AML, CTF & counter-proliferation financing The Law Society reports two-fifths of laundered money is through property The Law Society highlights new Europol findings showing that 41% of organised crime networks launder proceeds via...

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View the related Practice Notes about Database

PRACTICE NOTES
Admissibility of Evidence in Driving Offence Prosecutions: Driver Identification, Certificates, DVLA, Prescribed Devices, Highway Code, Hearsay, Expert Evidence (England and Wales)

Proving the identity of the driver Where the bench is satisfied the defendant was served with a notice under section 172 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, and the court receives a statement from the defendant admitting they were the driver, that statement is accepted as proof of identity. If no such admission exists—either because a RTA 1988, s 172 notice was not properly served in line with the Criminal Procedure Rules 2025 (CrimPR 2025), SI 2025/909, Pt 4, or the allegation is not one to which section 172 applies—the magistrates will look to other material. Information provided by the registered keeper to police during interview or questioning Entries held on the police national database See: Creed v Scott [1976] RTR 485 (not reported by LexisNexis®) and DPP v Bayliff [2003] EWHC 539 (Admin) (not reported by LexisNexis®). Details supplied to the police may suffice to prove who was driving; it is immaterial whether a driving licence is produced to confirm name...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Practical guide to intellectual property in insolvency: ownership, licences, data compliance and value maximisation for office-holders and buyers

For many companies, intellectual property rights (IPRs) constitute an increasingly important and significant asset class. Although contemporary technology firms, pharmaceutical businesses and industrial players are most closely and very commonly linked with holding portfolios rich in IPRs, even the least likely organisations may own rights that are fundamental to them and, without which, they simply could not operate (or do so as effectively or profitably) or would suffer significant loss of value. As a broad category, IPRs are wide-ranging and inherently diverse indeed. According to context, there are, in particular, rights beyond the best known (patents, trade marks and copyright) that may—or may not—be generally regarded strictly as IPRs, such as database rights, websites with their associated domain names, goodwill and contractual rights allied to IPRs. For further detail on the principal types of intellectual property rights an insolvency practitioner as office holder may encounter, see Practice Note: IP right comparison table. Patents, design rights and trade marks depend for their existence and protection on registration (at the...

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PRACTICE NOTES
Music compilations and playlists: UK database copyright, sui generis database right, originality and investment thresholds, and key case law

This Practice Note explores whether music compilations can attract copyright as databases. At its core, the enquiry is whether the compilation’s contents reflect the author’s own intellectual creation (explained in more detail below). Copyright subsistence in a database (often termed database copyright) is separate from the sui generis database right, which is also addressed in this Practice Note. The sui generis database right concerns legal protection for databases of any kind and stems from the Copyright and Rights in Databases Regulations 1997 (CRD 1997), SI 1997/3032. Whether a sui generis database right exists does not settle if copyright also subsists in the same database, and vice versa. A database may benefit from one, both, or neither right. Court of Justice judgments This Practice Note cites rulings of the Court of Justice. For guidance on whether decisions of the Court of Justice bind UK courts, see Practice Note: Assimilated law—Assimilated case law. Categorisation of copyright works Copyright is the exclusive right to do, and to authorise others...

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View the related Precedents about Database

PRECEDENTS
Database sale and IP rights assignment agreement with data migration and UK GDPR provisions (pro-assignor) - England and Wales

This Agreement is dated [ insert date ] Parties [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ] whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (Assignor) [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ] whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (Assignee) Each of the Assignor and the Assignee is a party; together they are the parties. Background The Assignor owns the copyright and database rights in the Database. The Assignee is [ insert description of the Assignee’s background/background to assignment or relevant transaction ]. The Assignor agrees to assign all such copyright and database rights and to migrate the contents of the Database to the Assignee, and the Assignee agrees to accept that assignment and to assist and co‑operate with...

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PRECEDENTS
Pro-assignee database sale and IP assignment agreement with controller-to-controller UK GDPR personal data transfer, warranties, indemnities and migration terms (England and Wales)

This Agreement is entered into on [ insert date ] Parties [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ] whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (Assignor); and [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ] whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (Assignee) Each of the Assignor and the Assignee is a party and, collectively, the Assignor and the Assignee are the parties. BACKGROUND The Assignor holds all Intellectual Property Rights in the Database. The Assignor acts as Controller of the Personal Data contained in the Database and the Data Protection Documentation. The Assignee is [ insert description of the Assignee’s background/background to assignment or relevant transaction ]. The Assignor agrees to assign all Intellectual Property Rights and...

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PRECEDENTS
Precedent Reply to Defence: Database Right Infringement (England and Wales, Business and Property Courts, IP List (ChD)/IPEC)

Case No. [ insert claim number ] IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE BUSINESS AND PROPERTY COURTS OF ENGLAND & WALES INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LIST (ChD) [ INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ENTERPRISE COURT ] BETWEEN: [ insert full name of claimant ] Claimant and [ insert full name of defendant ] Defendant REPLY 1 Save where stated otherwise, paragraph number references in this Reply refer solely to those within the Defence...

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