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EUROPE The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled on
a British case concerning copyright protection for football fixture
lists. Providers of lists had taken a number of companies, including the bookmaker
Stan James, to court over what they argued was unauthorised use. But the CJEU said that while the structure of a database such as that
containing fixtures might be subject to copyright, the contents would not be unless they were the result of “intellectual creation” that “expressed originality”. It therefore seems unlikely that national courts, which will have to interpret the CJEU’s findings, will consider fixture lists copyrightable. Tony Ballard, an intellectual property specialist at London law firm Harbottle &
Lewis, said: “It is pretty clear that the bar has been set high and that football fixture lists are unlikely to qualify. Those who compile these lists, and other lists like them such as programme schedules, will find it difficult to control or charge fees to those who use the data to provide news and information in print or online or, as in the present case, to organise betting activities.” Added Clive Hawkswood, chief executive of the Remote Gambling Association:
“We hope that this will finally put an end to attempts by sporting organisations to extract significant funds from media and betting organisations using the threat of intellectual property infringement.”
EUROPE TheWestminster eForum Keynote Seminar held in London on 14
June will examine the future of online gambling in Europe. Speakers will include Pamela Brumter-Coret of the European Commission’s 22 APRIL 2012
directorate-general for the internal market and services, Andrew Beveridge of eCogra, Henrietta Bowden-Jones of the National Problem Gambling Clinic, Clive Hawkswood of the Remote Gambling Association, and Peter Reynolds of
Bwin.party.
GREECE As we went to press, the Greek government’s Hellenic Republic
Asset Development Fund was understood to be poised to initiate
the process of selling a 29 percent stake in OPAP, the partially state-owned gaming operator. The sell-off is part of a ¤50bn divestiture of state assets, intended to tackle the country’s economic problems. The government has also amended its gaming law to confirm the administrative and financial independence of the new Hellenic Gaming Commission.
GREECE Greece’s Hellenic Gaming Commission has issued detailed
technical standards for video lottery terminals (VLTs) in an 84-
page document which covers issues ranging from TITO and the random number generator to security, central server operations, and reporting requirements. Among the key rules are: • “Each game shall theoretically payout a minimum of 80 percent during the expected lifetime of the game (i.e. progressives, bonus systems, merchandise, etc. shall not be included in the percentage payout if they are external to the game).”
THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE AMUSEMENT AND STREET GAMING INDUSTRY
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