LEGAL PROTECTION OF DATABASES

摘要

Databases can be protected under various legal theories―including copyright, trade secret, and unfair competition theories―depending upon the types of materials that make up the particular database and how the database was misused. For example, a database of articles may be protected under copyright law, while a database containing a company's proprietary customer information may be protectable under trade secret law. Further, unauthorized access to a database may constitute copyright infringement, breach of contract, and/or trespass.