2.1.4-4 A lecturer compiles a literature list for her students containing the author, title, edition, ISBN, etc. and a short description of each book devised by the publishing house. May the lecturer use this information without further ado?

FAQ

It depends: all data is metadata, which is only protected by copyright when it is considered to be an intellectual creative effort with an individual character pursuant to Art. 2 para. 1 CopA. Information about the author, title, edition and ISBN does not fall under this. On the other hand, the short description is an intellectual creative effort and is therefore protected by copyright; the lecturer would have to obtain the consent of the publishing house to use it.

Although this work is used in an educational context, the lecturer can invoke the limiting provision specified in Art. 19 para. 1 (b) CopA and does not require any consent to do so (private use for educational purposes). However, it is important that the lecturer only uses excerpts from the short descriptions for the literature list (not a complete copy) Art. 19 para. 1 (b) in conjunction with Art. 19 para 3 (a) CopA).Alternatively, the lecturer can also just issue a link list with links to the choice of literature in question or to the homepage of the publishing house instead of a literature list. Then the lecturer does not require the consent of the publishing house