When royalties aren't required

01-04-2010

Nanna Meyland Nicolaisen

On December 1, 2009, the Supreme Court of Denmark, as the second instance body, ruled in a case settling a dispute over the copyright to a computer program.

The case was tried in the first instance by the Maritime and Commercial Court, on August 21, 2007.

The parties disputed the copyright and royalties for MediBOX, a computer program developed by Poss Design (Poss) for Fonden for Tidsskrift for Praktiserende Læger (Fonden). During the case, Poss claimed the rights to MediBOX and said that Fonden should pay royalties for copies it sold. Fonden denied the allegation and asked for judgment for the defendant. It also said that in the event the court found in favour of Poss, the royalties payable should be small.

From 1995, Fonden and Poss jointly developed MediBOX, the program in suit. Poss updated and developed MediBOX according to instructions from Fonden about content, layout and text, and in return for payment.


MediBOX, copyright infringement

WIPR