German Court Rules 'Bot' Providers Using Client Software Violate Copyrights

摘要

Commercial sellers of automized computer game software "bots" infringe copyright rules because they use protected client software without authorization, Dresden's Higher Regional Court decided, narrowing the scope of commercial use of online software, and echoing a court ruling in another jurisdiction. In the case decided Jan. 20 (Az. 14 U 1127/14) and published subsequently, judges used the "copyright transfer principle" (§ 31 Abs. 5 UrhG) to rule that buying client software does not transfer usage rights for commercial reproduction to the buyer, and additional advance consent from the manufacturer is required.