WIsH - Welsh Innovations in Healthcare
Database Right
Database right is an ancillary right to copyright and sometimes exists in addition to copyright e.g. for a table or database listing patient diagnoses. The right acknowledges the commercial value of information. The structure of a database is protected by copyright and the information within a database is protected by database right. Database right is an automatic right (i.e. no registration is required) and lasts for 15 years from the 1st January after completion or from the 1st January after publication, whichever is first. Any substantial change to the database (e.g. updating entries) will attract a further 15 years protection against copying.
Ownership
Ownership of database right will usually reside with the employer where the employee has created the work in the course of their employment. This will be the case irrespective of whether the work.