SCCR/7/3: Study on the Protection of Unoriginal Databases

* At the request of its member States, WIPO commissioned, in 2001, five studies on the economic impact of the protection of non-original databases in developing countries and countries in transition. This study, one of those five, contains the research and opinions of only its author and does not in any way reflect the views or position of WIPO. This paper aims at dealing with the impact of the protection of unoriginal databases on developing countries. The paper deals exclusively with databases that are not protected under copyright. It is focused on two main aspects: the possible implications of unoriginal database protection on development, and technical alternatives to legal protection.