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PARALLEL TEXTS
Le emittenti televisive possono vietare la ritrasmissione via internet dei loro programmi da parte di un’altra società
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-25_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-25_it.htm
Data documento: 07-03-2013
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Television broadcasters may prohibit the retransmission of their programmes by another company via the internet
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Le emittenti televisive possono vietare la ritrasmissione via internet dei loro programmi da parte di un’altra società
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That retransmission constitutes, under certain conditions, ‘a communication to the public’ of works which must be authorised by their author
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Tale ritrasmissione costituisce, a talune condizioni, «una comunicazione al pubblico» delle opere e deve essere autorizzata dal loro autore
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EU law seeks to establish a high level of protection for authors of works, allowing them to obtain an appropriate reward for the use of those works, including on the occasion of communication to the public.
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Il diritto dell’Unione è volto ad instaurare un livello elevato di protezione a favore degli autori di opere, consentendo loro di ottenere un adeguato compenso per l’utilizzazione di queste ultime, in particolare in occasione di una comunicazione al pubblico.
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To that end, authors have an exclusive right to authorise or prohibit any communication of their works to the public.
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A tal fine, gli autori hanno un diritto esclusivo di autorizzare o di vietare qualsiasi comunicazione al pubblico delle loro opere.
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TVCatchup Ltd (‘TVC’) offers an internet television broadcasting service.This service permits its users to receive, via the internet, ‘live’ streams of free-to-air television broadcasts.
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La TVCatchup Ltd («TVC») offre su Internet servizi di diffusione di programmi televisivi che consentono agli utenti di ricevere «in diretta» via Internet flussi di programmi televisivi gratuiti.
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TVC ensures that its subscribers can obtain access only to content which they are already legally entitled to watch in the United Kingdom by virtue of their television licence.
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Essa garantisce che i suoi abbonati ottengano l’accesso solo ad un contenuto che sono già legittimati a guardare nel Regno Unito grazie alla loro licenza televisiva.
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The terms to which users must agree include the possession of a valid TV licence and a restriction of use of TVC services to the United Kingdom alone.
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Le condizioni che gli utenti devono accettare comprendono il possesso di una valida licenza televisiva e la limitazione dell’utilizzo dei servizi della TVC al solo Regno Unito.
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The TVC website has the facility to authenticate the user’s location and thereby to refuse access where the conditions imposed on users are not satisfied.
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Il sito Internet della TVC dispone di un sistema per verificare il luogo in cui si trova l’utente e di negare così l’accesso qualora non siano soddisfatte le condizioni imposte agli utenti.
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Several British commercial television broadcasters take exception to the distribution by TVC over the internet, substantially in real time, of their television broadcasts.
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Varie televisioni commerciali britanniche si oppongono alla TVC in merito alla diffusione che essa realizza via Internet, e pressoché in tempo reale, dei loro programmi.
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They have for that reason brought proceedings against TVC before the High Court of Justice (England and Wales) (Chancery Division) for breach of their copyright in their broadcasts and films, alleging, inter alia, that there is a communication to the public which is prohibited both by national law and by Directive 2001/29.
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Esse, pertanto, hanno citato in giudizio la TVC dinanzi alla High Court of Justice (England & Wales) (Chancery Division) per violazione dei propri diritti d’autore sui loro programmi e film, consistente, segnatamente, in una comunicazione al pubblico, vietata sia dalla normativa nazionale sia dalla direttiva 2001/29.
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The High Court asks the Court of Justice whether there is a communication to the public, within the meaning of Directive 2001/29, in the case where an organisation such as TVC streams over the internet broadcasts to members of the public who would have been entitled to access the original broadcast signal using their own television sets or laptops in their own homes.
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Il giudice nazionale chiede alla Corte di giustizia se un organismo, quale la TVC, realizzi una comunicazione al pubblico ai sensi della direttiva 2001/29 quando diffonde su Internet programmi radiodiffusi a membri del pubblico che avrebbero avuto il diritto di accedere al segnale di radiodiffusione originale utilizzando a casa propria i loro apparecchi televisivi o i propri computer portatili.
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First of all, the Court of Justice determines the meaning of the concept of ‘communication’ and ascertains whether, in the present case, TVC’s activity comes within the scope of that concept.
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Innanzitutto la Corte determina il contenuto della nozione di «comunicazione» e verifica se, nella fattispecie, l’attività della TVC rientri nel suo ambito.
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Directive 2001/29 states that the right of communication to the public covers any transmission or retransmission of a work to the public not present at the place where the communication originates, by wire or wireless means, including broadcasting.
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In base alla direttiva 2001/29, il diritto di comunicazione al pubblico comprende qualsiasi trasmissione o ritrasmissione di un’opera al pubblico non presente nel luogo di origine della comunicazione, su filo o senza filo, inclusa la radiodiffusione.
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In addition, authorising the inclusion of protected works in a communication to the public does not exhaust the right to authorise or prohibit other communications of those works to the public.
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Inoltre, l’autorizzazione dell’inclusione delle opere protette in una comunicazione al pubblico non esaurisce il diritto di autorizzare o di vietare altre comunicazioni di tali opere al pubblico.
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The Court accordingly finds that, when a given work is put to multiple use, each transmission or retransmission of that work using a specific technical means must, as a rule, be individually authorised by its author.
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Pertanto, secondo la Corte, quando una determinata opera è oggetto di molteplici utilizzi, ogni trasmissione o ritrasmissione di tale opera mediante l’utilizzo di uno specifico mezzo tecnico deve essere in linea di principio autorizzata individualmente dal suo autore.
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Accordingly, given that the making of works available through the retransmission of a terrestrial television broadcast over the internet uses a specific technical means different from that of the original communication, that retransmission must be considered to be a ‘communication’ within the meaning of Directive 2001/29.
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Di conseguenza, dato che la messa a disposizione delle opere tramite la ritrasmissione su Internet di una radiodiffusione televisiva terrestre è effettuata mediante uno specifico mezzo tecnico, diverso da quello della comunicazione originale, essa va considerata una «comunicazione» ai sensi della direttiva.
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Such a retransmission cannot therefore be exempt from authorisation by the authors of the retransmitted works when these are communicated to the public.
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Pertanto, una siffatta ritrasmissione è soggetta all’autorizzazione degli autori delle opere ritrasmesse quando queste ultime sono comunicate al pubblico.
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Second, the Court of Justice ascertains whether the protected works have in fact been communicated to a ‘public’.
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Successivamente, la Corte verifica se le opere protette siano state effettivamente comunicate ad un «pubblico».
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According to the Court’s case-law, the term ‘public’ refers to an indeterminate number of potential recipients and implies, moreover, a fairly large number of persons.
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In base alla giurisprudenza della Corte, la nozione di pubblico riguarda un numero indeterminato di destinatari potenziali e comprende un numero di persone piuttosto considerevole.
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The Court points out that the cumulative effect of making the works available to potential recipients should be taken into account and that, in that connection, it is in particular relevant to ascertain the number of persons who have access to the same work at the same time and successively.
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La Corte precisa che occorre tener conto dell’effetto cumulativo che deriva dal fatto di mettere a disposizione opere presso destinatari potenziali e che, al riguardo, è rilevante sapere quante persone hanno accesso contestualmente e successivamente alla medesima opera.
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The Court finds that, in the present case, the retransmission of the works over the internet is aimed at all persons resident in the United Kingdom who have an internet connection and who claim to hold a television licence in that State.
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La Corte constata che, nel caso di specie, la ritrasmissione delle opere via Internet riguarda l’insieme delle persone residenti nel Regno Unito che abbiano una connessione Internet e che affermino di possedere in tale Stato una licenza televisiva.
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Those persons may access the protected works at the same time, in the context of the ‘live streaming’ of television programmes over the internet.
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Queste possono accedere contestualmente alle opere protette nell’ambito del «live streaming» dei programmi televisivi su Internet.
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Thus, that retransmission is aimed at an indeterminate number of potential recipients and implies a large number of persons.
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Pertanto, detta ritrasmissione concerne un numero indeterminato di destinatari potenziali e un numero di persone piuttosto considerevole.
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Consequently, the Court holds that, by the retransmission in question, the protected works are indeed communicated to a public within the meaning of Directive 2001/29.
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La Corte constata quindi che, con la ritrasmissione in esame, le opere protette sono effettivamente comunicate ad un pubblico ai sensi della direttiva.
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Accordingly, the Court answers that the concept of ‘communication to the public’, within the meaning of Directive 2001/29, must be interpreted as covering a retransmission of the works included in a terrestrial television broadcast, where the retransmission is made by an organisation other than the original broadcaster, by means of an internet stream made available to the subscribers of that other organisation who may receive that retransmission by logging on to its server, even though those subscribers are within the area of reception of that terrestrial television broadcast and may lawfully receive the broadcast on a television receiver.
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Di conseguenza, la Corte risponde che la nozione di «comunicazione al pubblico» ai sensi della direttiva 2001/29 deve essere interpretata nel senso che essa riguarda una ritrasmissione delle opere incluse in una radiodiffusione televisiva terrestre, effettuata da un organismo diverso dall’emittente originale, mediante un flusso Internet messo a disposizione dei suoi abbonati che possono ricevere detta ritrasmissione connettendosi al server di quest’ultimo, sebbene tali abbonati si trovino nell’area di ricezione di detta radiodiffusione televisiva terrestre e possano riceverla legalmente su un apparecchio televisivo.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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A reference for a preliminary ruling allows the courts and tribunals of the Member States, in disputes which have been brought before them, to refer questions to the Court of Justice about the interpretation of European Union law or the validity of a European Union act.
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Il rinvio pregiudiziale consente ai giudici degli Stati membri, nell'ambito di una controversia della quale sono investiti, di interpellare la Corte in merito all’interpretazione del diritto dell’Unione o alla validità di un atto dell’Unione.
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The Court of Justice does not decide the dispute itself.
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La Corte non risolve la controversia nazionale.
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It is for the national court or tribunal to dispose of the case in accordance with the Court’s decision, which is similarly binding on other national courts or tribunals before which a similar issue is raised.
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Spetta al giudice nazionale risolvere la causa conformemente alla decisione della Corte. Tale decisione vincola egualmente gli altri giudici nazionali ai quali venga sottoposto un problema simile.
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LISTEN WITH READSPEAKER
Television broadcasters may prohibit the retransmission of their
programmes by another company via the internet
That retransmission constitutes, under certain conditions, ‘a
communication to the public’ of works which must be authorised by their author
EU law seeks to establish a high level of protection for authors of
works, allowing them to obtain an appropriate reward for the use of those works,
including on the occasion of communication to the public.
To that end, authors have an exclusive right to authorise or prohibit
any communication of their works to the public.
TVCatchup Ltd (‘TVC’) offers an internet television broadcasting
service.This service permits its users to receive, via the internet, ‘live’
streams of free-to-air television broadcasts.
TVC ensures that its subscribers can obtain access only to content
which they are already legally entitled to watch in the United Kingdom by virtue
of their television licence.
The terms to which users must agree include the possession of a valid
TV licence and a restriction of use of TVC services to the United Kingdom alone.
The TVC website has the facility to authenticate the user’s location
and thereby to refuse access where the conditions imposed on users are not
satisfied.
Several British commercial television broadcasters take exception to
the distribution by TVC over the internet, substantially in real time, of their
television broadcasts.
They have for that reason brought proceedings against TVC before the
High Court of Justice (England and Wales) (Chancery Division) for breach of
their copyright in their broadcasts and films, alleging, inter alia, that there
is a communication to the public which is prohibited both by national law and by
Directive 2001/29.
The High Court asks the Court of Justice whether there is a
communication to the public, within the meaning of Directive 2001/29, in the
case where an organisation such as TVC streams over the internet broadcasts to
members of the public who would have been entitled to access the original
broadcast signal using their own television sets or laptops in their own homes.
First of all, the Court of Justice determines the meaning of the
concept of ‘communication’ and ascertains whether, in the present case, TVC’s
activity comes within the scope of that concept.
Directive 2001/29 states that the right of communication to the public
covers any transmission or retransmission of a work to the public not present at
the place where the communication originates, by wire or wireless means,
including broadcasting.
In addition, authorising the inclusion of protected works in a
communication to the public does not exhaust the right to authorise or prohibit
other communications of those works to the public.
The Court accordingly finds that, when a given work is put to multiple
use, each transmission or retransmission of that work using a specific technical
means must, as a rule, be individually authorised by its author.
Accordingly, given that the making of works available through the
retransmission of a terrestrial television broadcast over the internet uses a
specific technical means different from that of the original communication, that
retransmission must be considered to be a ‘communication’ within the meaning of
Directive 2001/29.
Such a retransmission cannot therefore be exempt from authorisation by
the authors of the retransmitted works when these are communicated to the
public.
Second, the Court of Justice ascertains whether the protected works
have in fact been communicated to a ‘public’.
According to the Court’s case-law, the term ‘public’ refers to an
indeterminate number of potential recipients and implies, moreover, a fairly
large number of persons.
The Court points out that the cumulative effect of making the works
available to potential recipients should be taken into account and that, in that
connection, it is in particular relevant to ascertain the number of persons who
have access to the same work at the same time and successively.
The Court finds that, in the present case, the retransmission of the
works over the internet is aimed at all persons resident in the United Kingdom
who have an internet connection and who claim to hold a television licence in
that State.
Those persons may access the protected works at the same time, in the
context of the ‘live streaming’ of television programmes over the internet.
Thus, that retransmission is aimed at an indeterminate number of
potential recipients and implies a large number of persons.
Consequently, the Court holds that, by the retransmission in question,
the protected works are indeed communicated to a public within the meaning of
Directive 2001/29.
Accordingly, the Court answers that the concept of ‘communication to
the public’, within the meaning of Directive 2001/29, must be interpreted as
covering a retransmission of the works included in a terrestrial television
broadcast, where the retransmission is made by an organisation other than the
original broadcaster, by means of an internet stream made available to the
subscribers of that other organisation who may receive that retransmission by
logging on to its server, even though those subscribers are within the area of
reception of that terrestrial television broadcast and may lawfully receive the
broadcast on a television receiver.
NOTE:
A reference for a preliminary ruling allows the courts and tribunals of
the Member States, in disputes which have been brought before them, to refer
questions to the Court of Justice about the interpretation of European Union law
or the validity of a European Union act.
The Court of Justice does not decide the dispute itself.
It is for the national court or tribunal to dispose of the case in
accordance with the Court’s decision, which is similarly binding on other
national courts or tribunals before which a similar issue is raised.
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