A Proposal for the Protection of Digital Databases in Sri Lanka Submitted by Thusitha Bernad Abeysekara to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Law in July 2013 This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. Signature: ………………………………………………………….. 1 ABSTRACT Economic development in Sri Lanka has relied heavily on foreign and domestic investment. Digital databases are a new and attractive area for this investment. This thesis argues that investment needs protection and this is crucial to attract future investment. The thesis therefore proposes a digital database protection mechanism with a view to attracting investment in digital databases to Sri Lanka. The research examines various existing protection measures whilst mainly focusing on the sui generis right protection which confirms the protection of qualitative and/or quantitative substantial investment in the obtaining, verification or presentation of the contents of digital databases. In digital databases, this process is carried out by computer programs which establish meaningful and useful data patterns through their data mining process, and subsequently use those patterns in Knowledge Discovery within database processes. Those processes enhance the value and/or usefulness of the data/information. Computer programs need to be protected, as this thesis proposes, by virtue of patent protection because the process carried out by computer programs is that of a technical process - an area for which patents are particularly suitable for the purpose of protecting. All intellectual property concepts under the existing mechanisms address the issue of investment in databases in different ways. These include Copyright, Contract, Unfair Competition law and Misappropriation and Sui generis right protection. Since the primary objective of the thesis is to introduce a protection system for encouraging qualitative and quantitative investment in digital databases in Sri Lanka, this thesis suggests a set of mechanisms and rights which comprises of existing intellectual protection mechanisms for databases. The ultimate goal of the proposed protection mechanisms and rights is to improve the laws pertaining to the protection of digital databases in Sri Lanka in order to attract investment, to protect the rights and duties of the digital database users and owners/authors and, eventually, to bring positive economic effects to the country. Since digital database protection is a new concept in the Sri Lankan legal context, this research will provide guidelines for policy-makers, judges and lawyers in Sri Lanka and throughout the South Asian region. th The law is correct as on 20 July 2013 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS What I was taught during my LLM in Computer & Communications Law at Queen Mary, University of London and the lectures given by Prof. Chris Reed and Prof. Ian Walden motivated and inspired me to do a PhD in Digital Database Protection/Computer Law. Whilst I selected, by my own reasoning, the renowned University of Exeter/UK, the university appointed the most appropriate IP/IT expert as my lead supervisor- Dr. James GH Griffin. I am particularly grateful for his wonderful guidance, support and unending kindness. If it were not for him, this research would not have become a reality so I have no hesitation in describing Dr. Griffin as the best example of a lead supervisor. My second supervisor Dr. Naomi Hawkins and my mentor, Dr. Frederic Rolland helped me throughout the PhD process. Ms Sarah Roberts, the Department’s Administrator, supported for getting through the proceedings of International Conferences where I took part around the world. I thank them all. Special thanks are due to the thesis internal examiner Prof. Rob Merkin who is Lloyd’s Professor of Commercial Law, and the external examiner Mr Stephen Mason/Barrister and General Editor, Electronic Evidence, for their profound examining and invaluable comments. I am greatly indebted to Dr. Asoka Silva, Head-Legal Studies/OUSL, who shouldered all the hard work concerning my scholarships in postgraduate studies and continuously offered me encouragement in difficult times. I owe an extra special thank you to Prof. Laksiri Fernando and his NCAS/Sri Lanka staff for their kind understanding and generosity in offering me a part scholarship for my PhD research. The endless editing process was eventually ended because of the endless helping hands of Dr. George Cumming/Barrister; Dr. Anusha Wickramasinghe; Dinusha Jayanetti/AAL; Nishadi R Thennakoon/AAL; Nalaka Illangaratne/AAL; Dr. Eng. Saman Ilankoon; Mr Benedict Saparamadu; Mr Sanath Jayalath; Mr I Ranjith and Mr Nicholas Cleary. While NCAS and OUSL offered me a part scholarship for my studies, Thusitha Siriwardana/AAL, DM Dissanayake/AAL and Indika Jayaweera/AAL provided a life line for the said scholarship’s proceedings in my absence. Dilojan Pushpakumara/AAL helped to find out living comfort in the United Kingdom. Dr. Balakrishna Sridharan’s advice assisted me at critical points of my thesis drafting. I owe an extra thanks to them. I offer my greatest thanks to my parents and my only sister. My father, Mr Nelson Abeysekara, and my mother, Mrs Soma Abeysekara, provided most of the financial backing in addition to their deep love and affection which took a huge stress off my mind. Without the efforts of my sister, Ms Udeshika Nelani Abeysekara, this thesis would not have been a success. My fiancée, Sewwandika Wijesinghe/AAL, encouraged me a great deal while she patiently waited while I reached this stage in my studies. My thanks go to all the staff of the IALS/London where I spent more than six years since the first day of my LLM studies. 3 CONTENTS ABSTRACT................................................................................................................................. 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................ 3 CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 1.............................................................................................................................. 10 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................... 10 1.1. Background............................................................................................................... 10 1.1.1. The Problem ...................................................................................................... 12 1.1.2. Types of Databases ............................................................................................ 14 1.1.3. Definition of a database ..................................................................................... 17 1.1.4. Reasons for a research into digital database protection ..................................... 22 1.2. Methodology ............................................................................................................ 31 1.2.1. Using economics as an approach to the concept of “property” .......................... 34 1.2.2. Investment in making a database ....................................................................... 37 1.3. Arguments ................................................................................................................ 40 1.4. Chapter outline ......................................................................................................... 44 1.5. Ways that digital databases enhance the ‘value and/or usefulness’ of data .............. 52 1.6. The role of investment in database protection .......................................................... 61 1.6.1. The broad context of the problem ..................................................................... 61 1.6.2. Link between protection and investment ........................................................... 64 1.6.3. Possible reasons for a lack of investment ........................................................... 71 1.6.4. Reasons for legal protection .............................................................................. 71 1.6.5. Previous research carried out in this area .......................................................... 72 1.6.5.1. Issues that have not been considered in previous research ......................... 77 1.6.5.2. Novel aspects of this thesis ......................................................................... 77 1.6.6. Reasons for choosing Sri Lanka .......................................................................... 78 1.7. Importance of “sui generis” right protection and link with investment ...................... 79 1.8. Overview .................................................................................................................. 81 4 CHAPTER 2.............................................................................................................................. 83 PROTECTION OF DIGITAL DATABASES BY COPYRIGHT LAW .................................................. 83 2.1. Introduction.............................................................................................................