Greek Copyright Law Framework for Musical Databases and Academic Research Use

Abstract

Music Information Research (MIR) aims at producing Information Retrieval and Data Mining methods that when applied to musical data will allow for the support of creative and consuming users' needs. Accordingly, the most basic requirement of MIR is the need to test its methods on real musical data to ensure their efficiency. Original musical works are protected under Greek Copyright Law. Databases are also offered copyright protection as well as sui generis protection (‘database right'). Accordingly, creators are given exclusive rights over their respective creations while third parties are excluded from unauthorized uses of these creations. A lawful use of a musical work/a database is achieved by either obtaining permission from the copyright owner/database right owner or by relying on exceptions/limitations prescribed by law. Greek legislation provides for certain limitations that warrant uses of a work, otherwise deemed copyright/database right infringing. It is debatable to what extent these limitations can be helpful for academic research purposes focusing on musical databases.