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The following questions and principles should be taken into account when conducting socio-economic research:
- Recognising that intellectual property rights are typically relevant to socio-economic research.
- Understanding the application of international and multiple national intellectual property laws in modern socio-economic research, especially regarding online activities.
- Identifying what kind of material used in socio-economic research is protected by copyright legislation (copyright, database protection, software protection).
- Examining what kind of rights are reserved for the author and what acts are therefore restricted under copyright legislation.
- Finding out what kind of exceptions/exemptions/limitations might apply to socio-economic research.
- Realising the consequences of copyright violations.
- Keeping in mind contractual questions. Realising how to use licences and assignments of rights.
- Taking into account how employment contracts might affect intellectual property.
Basic rules to be followed by a socio-economic researcher in order to use contents in accordance with intellectual property law:
- Finding out whether questions of intellectual property rights are concerned in the particular case (identification of IP-Protection relevant for socio-economic research).
- Examining which laws apply (question of applicable laws/private international law).
- Finding out whether any created or used material is protected by copyright, database and/or software protection.
- Figuring out whether the conduct in question is generally subject to restrictions due to intellectual property rights.
- Checking whether any legal permission (especially exceptions) might apply to the conduct in question.
- If statutory permissions do not cover the research activity in question, identifying the copyright owner in order to conclude contracts (licence agreements) with the authors/right holders to obtain their authorisations for the specific use within socio-economic research.
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