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PARALLEL TEXTS
È valida la limitazione dei costi di ritrasmissione di brevi estratti di cronaca di eventi di grande interesse pubblico, quali gli incontri di calcio
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-5_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-13-5_it.htm
Data documento: 22-01-2013
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The limitation of costs for broadcasting short news events of high interest to the public, such as football matches, is valid
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È valida la limitazione dei costi di ritrasmissione di brevi estratti di cronaca di eventi di grande interesse pubblico, quali gli incontri di calcio
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2 |
The Charter of Fundamental Rights does not preclude the compensation which holders of exclusive broadcasting rights may seek from other channels for short news reports from being limited to technical costs
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La Carta dei diritti fondamentali non osta a che la compensazione economica che il titolare di diritti esclusivi di ritrasmissione può richiedere (per brevi notiziari trasmessi da altre emittenti) sia limitata ai costi tecnici
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The Audiovisual Media Services Directive1 authorises any broadcaster established in the EU to produce short news reports on events of high interest to the public, where those events are subject to exclusive broadcasting rights.
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La direttiva «Servizi di media audiovisivi» 1 consente a qualsiasi emittente televisiva stabilita nell’Unione di realizzare brevi estratti di cronaca su eventi di grande interesse pubblico che sono oggetto di diritti esclusivi di ritrasmissione.
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4 |
Short extracts may be chosen freely from the signal of the holder of the exclusive broadcasting rights, which may request compensation corresponding only to the additional costs directly incurred in providing access to the signal.
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Tali brevi estratti possono essere scelti liberamente a partire dal segnale del titolare dei diritti esclusivi, il quale può pretendere un compenso economico corrispondente unicamente ai costi supplementari direttamente sostenuti per la fornitura dell’accesso al segnale stesso.
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5 |
Sky Österreich contests those financial conditions in the context of a dispute with ORF (an Austrian public broadcaster).
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La Sky Österreich contesta tali condizioni economiche nell’ambito di una controversia che la vede opposta all’ORF (emittente televisiva pubblica austriaca).
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6 |
Sky broadcasts by satellite the coded digital television programme ‘Sky Sport Austria’ and acquired exclusive rights to broadcast Europa League matches in the 2009/2010 to 2011/2012 seasons in Austrian territory.
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La Sky diffonde via satellite il programma televisivo digitale codificato denominato «Sky Sport Austria» ed ha acquisito i diritti esclusivi di trasmissione televisiva sul territorio austriaco degli incontri della Europa League per le stagioni 2009/2010-2011/2012.
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7 |
Sky states that it spends several million euros each year on the licence and production costs.
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Essa sostiene di spendere annualmente una somma di vari milioni di euro per la licenza ed i costi di produzione.
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8 |
KommAustria, the Austrian communications regulator, required Sky to grant ORF the right to make short news reports, without taking those costs into consideration.
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Orbene, la KommAustria, autorità austriaca in materia di comunicazioni, le ha ingiunto di concedere all’ORF il diritto di realizzare brevi estratti di cronaca senza tener conto di tali spese.
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9 |
No costs were directly incurred in providing access to the satellite signal in this case.
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I costi direttamente sostenuti per la fornitura dell’accesso al segnale satellitare erano, nella specie, pari a zero.
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10 |
The Bundeskommunikationssenat (the Austrian Federal Communications Senate), before which this case has been brought, asks the Court of Justice whether the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, in so far as it limits the compensation in question to additional costs directly incurred in providing access to the signal, is compatible with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union which guarantees the right to property and the freedom to conduct a business.
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Il Bundeskommunikationssenat (Consiglio superiore federale in materia di comunicazione, Austria), al quale la controversia è stata sottoposta, chiede alla Corte di giustizia se la direttiva «Servizi di media audiovisivi», laddove limita il compenso economico ai costi supplementari direttamente sostenuti per la fornitura dell’accesso al segnale, sia compatibile con la Carta dei diritti fondamentali dell’Unione europea che garantisce il diritto di proprietà e la libertà d’impresa.
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11 |
In today’s judgment, the Court responds that the Charter does not preclude such a limitation.
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Con la sentenza odierna la Corte risponde che la Carta non osta a tale limitazione.
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12 |
In so far as concerns the protection of property, as a fundamental right, the Court recognises that exclusive broadcasting rights, as acquired by Sky, have asset value and do not constitute mere commercial interests or opportunities.
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Per quanto attiene alla tutela della proprietà, quale diritto fondamentale, la Corte riconosce che i diritti esclusivi di trasmissione televisiva, quali acquisiti dalla Sky, possiedono valore patrimoniale e non costituiscono solamente opportunità di ordine commerciale.
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13 |
However, when Sky acquired those rights by means of a contract (in August 2009), EU law already provided for the right to make short news reports, while limiting the amount of compensation to the additional costs directly incurred in providing access to the signal.
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Tuttavia, all’epoca in cui la Sky ha acquisito contrattualmente tali diritti (vale a dire, nel mese di agosto 2009), il diritto dell’Unione prevedeva già il diritto di realizzare brevi estratti di cronaca, limitando tuttavia il compenso economico ai costi supplementari direttamente sostenuti per la fornitura dell’accesso al segnale.
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14 |
Therefore, Sky cannot rely on an established legal position enabling it to exercise its exclusive broadcasting rights autonomously.
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La Sky non può quindi invocare una posizione giuridica acquisita che le consenta l’esercizio autonomo del proprio diritto esclusivo di ritrasmissione.
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Consequently, Sky cannot rely on the protection of property, laid down in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
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Conseguentemente, non può far valere la tutela della proprietà, prevista dalla Carta dei diritti fondamentali.
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16 |
By contrast, the Court finds that the legislation in dispute encroaches upon the freedom to conduct a business.
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Per contro, la Corte rileva che la normativa controversa incide sulla libertà d’impresa.
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17 |
It prevents, in particular, the holder of exclusive broadcasting rights from deciding freely on the price to be charged for access to the signal and from making broadcasters which produce short news reports contribute to the costs involved in acquiring those rights.
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Infatti, essa impedisce, segnatamente, al titolare dei diritti esclusivi di ritrasmissione di decidere liberamente in merito al prezzo al quale fornire l’accesso al proprio segnale e di far quindi partecipare le emittenti televisive che realizzino brevi estratti di cronaca ai costi di acquisizione dei diritti medesimi.
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18 |
However, the Court points out that the freedom to conduct a business, as a fundamental freedom, is particular in that it may be subject to a broad range of interventions on the part of public authorities which may limit the exercise of economic activity in the public interest.
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Tuttavia, la Corte sottolinea che la libertà d’impresa riveste, in quanto libertà fondamentale, una particolarità, potendo essere soggetta ad un ampio ventaglio di interventi da parte dei poteri pubblici suscettibili di stabilire, nell’interesse generale, limiti all’esercizio dell’attività economica.
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19 |
That fact is reflected, inter alia, in the way in which the principle of proportionality must be implemented.
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Tale circostanza si riflette, in particolare, nelle modalità con cui deve essere attuato il principio di proporzionalità.
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20 |
The Court concludes that the limitation in dispute on the freedom to conduct a business is justified and that it is in line with the principle of proportionality, inter alia.
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La Corte dichiara quindi che la limitazione controversa della libertà d’impresa è giustificata e che essa rispetta, segnatamente, il principio di proporzionalità.
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21 |
That limitation pursues, without affecting the essential content of the freedom to conduct a business, an objective in the general interest in that it seeks to safeguard the fundamental freedom to receive information and to promote pluralism of the media, guaranteed by the Charter.
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Infatti, tale limitazione, senza incidere sul contenuto essenziale della libertà d’impresa, persegue un obiettivo di interesse generale in quanto è volta a salvaguardare la libertà fondamentale di ricevere informazioni ed a promuovere il pluralismo, garantiti dalla Carta.
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22 |
In that respect, the Court states that the marketing on an exclusive basis of events of high interest to the public is increasing and is liable to restrict considerably the access of the general public to information relating to those events.
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Ciò premesso, la Corte rileva che la commercializzazione in via esclusiva di eventi di grande interesse pubblico è attualmente crescente e tale da restringere considerevolmente l’accesso del pubblico all’informazione relativa a tali eventi.
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Moreover, the limitation in question is necessary and appropriate for the purpose of ensuring that the objective pursued of protecting the general interest is achieved.
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Inoltre, tale limitazione è idonea e necessaria a garantire la realizzazione dell’obiettivo perseguito di tutela dell’interesse generale.
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24 |
The EU legislature could legitimately consider that legislation providing for compensation to holders of exclusive broadcasting rights exceeding the costs directly incurred in providing access to the signal would not have achieved the objective pursued as effectively.
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Il legislatore dell’Unione poteva legittimamente ritenere che una disciplina che prevedesse un compenso economico superiore ai costi direttamente sostenuti per la fornitura dell’accesso al segnale non avrebbe consentito di conseguire, con la stessa efficacia, l’obiettivo perseguito.
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25 |
Finally, the contested legislation must be considered to be proportionate.
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Infine, la normativa controversa deve essere considerata proporzionata.
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26 |
In the light, first, of the importance of safeguarding the fundamental freedom to receive information and the freedom and pluralism of the media guaranteed by the Charter and, second, of the protection of the freedom to conduct a business as guaranteed the Charter, the EU legislature was entitled to adopt rules such as those at issue, which limit the freedom to conduct a business and give priority in the necessary balancing of the rights and interests at issue to public access to information over contractual freedom.
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Tenuto conto, da un lato, dell’importanza che rivestono la salvaguardia della libertà fondamentale di ricevere informazioni, la libertà nonché il pluralismo dei media garantiti dalla Carta e, dall’altro, della salvaguardia della tutela della libertà d’impresa riconosciuta dalla Carta stessa, legittimamente il legislatore dell’Unione ha potuto adottare norme, del genere di quelle in esame, che comportano limitazioni della libertà d’impresa privilegiando, con riguardo alla necessaria ponderazione dei diritti e degli interessi in gioco, l’accesso del pubblico all’informazione rispetto alla libertà contrattuale.
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27 |
In particular, the contested legislation ensures a fair balance between the various rights and fundamental freedoms at issue in the case.
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In particolare, la normativa controversa istituisce un giusto equilibrio tra i singoli diritti e le singole libertà fondamentali in gioco.
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28 |
The Audiovisual Media Services Directive provides that short news reports may only be produced for general news programmes and not, for example, programmes serving entertainment purposes.
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Infatti, la direttiva «Servizi di media audiovisivi» prevede che i brevi estratti di cronaca possono essere realizzati unicamente per notiziari di carattere generale e non, ad esempio, per programmi di intrattenimento.
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29 |
In addition, those short extracts should not exceed ninety seconds and their source must be indicated.
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Inoltre, tali estratti non dovrebbero superare i 90 secondi e deve esserne indicata la fonte.
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30 |
Moreover, the directive does not prevent holders of exclusive broadcasting rights from charging for the use of their rights.
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La direttiva non esclude, poi, che i titolari di diritti esclusivi di trasmissione televisiva possano sfruttare i loro diritti a titolo oneroso.
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31 |
Similarly, the absence of a possibility of refinancing through set-off and any reduction in the commercial value of those exclusive broadcasting rights may, in practice, be taken into account during contractual negotiations relating to the acquisition of the rights at issue and be reflected in the price paid for that acquisition.
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Parimenti, la mancata possibilità di rifinanziamento mediante un compenso nonché l’eventuale diminuzione del valore commerciale di tali diritti esclusivi di trasmissione televisiva possono, in pratica, essere presi in considerazione nelle trattative contrattuali per l’acquisizione dei diritti medesimi e riflettersi nel prezzo per essa versato.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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33 |
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. |
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
The limitation of costs for broadcasting short news events of high
interest to the public, such as football matches, is valid
The Charter of Fundamental Rights does not preclude the compensation
which holders of exclusive broadcasting rights may seek from other channels for
short news reports from being limited to technical costs
The Audiovisual Media Services Directive1 authorises any broadcaster
established in the EU to produce short news reports on events of high interest
to the public, where those events are subject to exclusive broadcasting rights.
Short extracts may be chosen freely from the signal of the holder of
the exclusive broadcasting rights, which may request compensation corresponding
only to the additional costs directly incurred in providing access to the
signal.
Sky Österreich contests those financial conditions in the context of a
dispute with ORF (an Austrian public broadcaster).
Sky broadcasts by satellite the coded digital television programme ‘Sky
Sport Austria’ and acquired exclusive rights to broadcast Europa League matches
in the 2009/2010 to 2011/2012 seasons in Austrian territory.
Sky states that it spends several million euros each year on the
licence and production costs.
KommAustria, the Austrian communications regulator, required Sky to
grant ORF the right to make short news reports, without taking those costs into
consideration.
No costs were directly incurred in providing access to the satellite
signal in this case.
TheBundeskommunikationssenat (the Austrian Federal Communications
Senate), before which this case has been brought, asks the Court of Justice
whether the Audiovisual Media Services Directive, in so far as it limits the
compensation in question to additional costs directly incurred in providing
access to the signal, is compatible with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
the European Union which guarantees the right to property and the freedom to
conduct a business.
In today’s judgment, the Court responds that the Charter does not
preclude such a limitation.
In so far as concerns the protection of property, as a fundamental
right, the Court recognises that exclusive broadcasting rights, as acquired by
Sky, have asset value and do not constitute mere commercial interests or
opportunities.
However, when Sky acquired those rights by means of a contract (in
August 2009), EU law already provided for the right to make short news reports,
while limiting the amount of compensation to the additional costs directly
incurred in providing access to the signal.
Therefore, Sky cannot rely on an established legal position enabling it
to exercise its exclusive broadcasting rights autonomously.
Consequently, Sky cannot rely on the protection of property, laid down
in the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
By contrast, the Court finds that the legislation in dispute encroaches
upon the freedom to conduct a business.
It prevents, in particular, the holder of exclusive broadcasting rights
from deciding freely on the price to be charged for access to the signal and
from making broadcasters which produce short news reports contribute to the
costs involved in acquiring those rights.
However, the Court points out that the freedom to conduct a business,
as a fundamental freedom, is particular in that it may be subject to a broad
range of interventions on the part of public authorities which may limit the
exercise of economic activity in the public interest.
That fact is reflected, inter alia, in the way in which the principle
of proportionality must be implemented.
The Court concludes that the limitation in dispute on the freedom to
conduct a business is justified and that it is in line with the principle of
proportionality, inter alia.
That limitation pursues, without affecting the essential content of the
freedom to conduct a business, an objective in the general interest in that it
seeks to safeguard the fundamental freedom to receive information and to promote
pluralism of the media, guaranteed by the Charter.
In that respect, the Court states that the marketing on an exclusive
basis of events of high interest to the public is increasing and is liable to
restrict considerably the access of the general public to information relating
to those events.
Moreover, the limitation in question is necessary and appropriate for
the purpose of ensuring that the objective pursued of protecting the general
interest is achieved.
The EU legislature could legitimately consider that legislation
providing for compensation to holders of exclusive broadcasting rights exceeding
the costs directly incurred in providing access to the signal would not have
achieved the objective pursued as effectively.
Finally, the contested legislation must be considered to be
proportionate.
In the light, first, of the importance of safeguarding the fundamental
freedom to receive information and the freedom and pluralism of the media
guaranteed by the Charter and, second, of the protection of the freedom to
conduct a business as guaranteed the Charter, the EU legislature was entitled to
adopt rules such as those at issue, which limit the freedom to conduct a
business and give priority in the necessary balancing of the rights and
interests at issue to public access to information over contractual freedom.
In particular, the contested legislation ensures a fair balance between
the various rights and fundamental freedoms at issue in the case.
The Audiovisual Media Services Directive provides that short news
reports may only be produced for general news programmes and not, for example,
programmes serving entertainment purposes.
I n addition, those short extracts should not exceed ninety seconds and their
source must be indicated.
Moreover, the directive does not prevent holders of exclusive
broadcasting rights from charging for the use of their rights.
Similarly, the absence of a possibility of refinancing through set-off
and any reduction in the commercial value of those exclusive broadcasting rights
may, in practice, be taken into account during contractual negotiations relating
to the acquisition of the rights at issue and be reflected in the price paid for
that acquisition.
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. |