Copyright, Satellite Broadcasting and Cable Retransmission: Airfield NV, Canal Digitaal BV v Belgische Vereniging van Auteurs,Componisten en Uitgevers CVBA (Sabam) (C-431/09) and Airfield NV v Agicoa Belgium BVBA (C-432/09)

摘要

The comment discusses the recent judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of October 13, 2011 in Airfield NV, Canal Digitaal BV v Belgische Vereniging van Auteurs, Componisten en Uitgevers CVBA (Sabam) (C-431/09), and Airfield NV v Agicoa Belgium BVBA (C-432/09),1 referring to interpretation of art.2, in relation to art.l (2) (a) to (c) of Council Directive 93/83 on the coordination of certain rules concerning copyright and rights related to copyright applicable to satellite broadcasting and cable retransmission (references for a preliminary ruling under art.234 EC from the Hof van beroep te Brussel, Belgium, made by decisions of October 27, 2009). A satellite package provider has to obtain authorisation from the right holders for its intervention in the direct or indirect transmission of television programmes, unless the right holders have agreed with the broadcasting organisation that the protected works will also be communicated to the public through that provider, on condition, in the latter situation, that the provider's intervention does not make those works accessible to a new public.