Text and data mining: does it lead the EU to a new copyright system?

Three years ago, the EU released a new directive with the aim, among others, of harmonizing copyright limitations and exceptions. The final purpose (not always stated as that) is to enhance competition in the internal market. One of these new harmonized exceptions is text and data mining (known as TDM).

TDM refers to a (relatively) new technology enabling the automated computational analysis of information in digital form (text, sounds, images or data) which makes possible the processing of large amounts of information with a view to gaining new knowledge and discovering new trends.

TDM can involve acts protected by copyright, in particular, the reproduction of protected works or other subject matter. Where no exception or limitation applies, an authorisation to undertake such acts is required from rightholders.

This new EU legal framework regarding TDM, which places internal market performance at the core, poses so many legal, policy and epistemological questions, even reaching to shake the principles of EU copyright system.

A sandwich lunch will be available from 12.30 in the area outside the IECL Seminar Room.