• Journal of Legislation Research
• /
• no.44
• /
• pp.487-538
• /
• 2013

It is the most critical issue in recent international intellectual property licence disputes to decide the applicable laws to the license contracts. As Korea and the European Union(EU) reached free trade agreement(FTA), and the EU-Korea FTA entered into force on July 1, 2011, the FTA has boosted social, economic, cultural exchanges between the two. As a result of the increased transactions in those sectors, legal disputes are also expected to grow. This situation calls for extensive research and understanding of the choice of law principles applicable to international intellectual property license contracts in the EU. To decide the laws applicable to issues arising from international intellectual property license contracts disputes, the characterization of those issues is necessary for the purpose of applying private international law principles to them. In terms of characterization, intellectual property license contracts fall within contractual matters. In the EU, the primary rule of choice of law principles in contractual obligations is the Rome I Regulation. Because the choice of law rules, such as private international law principles, the Rome Convention(1980), and the Rome I Regulation, differ in the time of application, it is essential to clarify the time factor of related contracts. For example, the Rome I Regulation applies to contracts which were concluded as from December 17, 2009. Although party autonomy in international contracts disputes is generally allowed, if there is no choice of law agreement between the parties to the contracts, the objective test rule of private international law doctrine could be the best option. Following this doctrine, the Rome I Regulation Article 4, Paragraph 1 provides the governing law rules based on the types of contracts, but there is no room for intellectual property license contracts. After all, as the rule for governing law of those contracts, the Rome I Regulation Article 4, Paragraph 2 should be applied and if there are countries which are more closely connected to the contracts under the Rome I Regulation Article 4, Paragraph 3, the laws of those countries become the governing laws of the contracts. Nevertheless, if it is not possible to decide the applicable laws to the license contracts, the Rome I Regulation Article 4, Paragraph 4 should be applied in the last resort and the laws of the countries which are the most closely connected to the contracts govern the license contracts. Therefore, this research on the laws applicable to intellectual property license contracts under the Rome I Regulation suggests more systematic and effective solutions for future disputes in which Korea and the EU countries play the significant role as the connecting factors in the conflict of laws rules. Moreover, it helps to establish comprehensive and theoretical understanding of applying the Korean Private International Law to multifarious choice-of-law cases.

• International Commerce and Information Review
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.45-66
• /
• 2009

Licensing of information is the standard of the computer information business today. The huge bulk of vendors license their computer information products. The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act(UCITA), therefore, does not originate licensing contracts. UCITA was developed to provide basic, recognizable default rules for the existing licensing activity that goes on and expands as commerce in computer information expands. UCITA's rules govern licensing of contracts for computer information from formation through performance, including remedies if there is a breach of contract. Included in UCITA are rules for warranties, both implied and express, and rules pertaining to risk of loss in a computer information transaction. Most of the rules in UCITA are the traditional and familiar rules of contract from the law of sales and from the common law, but adapted to the special nature of computer information licensing contracts. Freedom of contract is a dominating underlying policy for UCITA, exactly as that principle is the foundation for the law of commercial transactions, generally, and exactly as that law has served all commercial transactions in the United States and has contributed to the economic growth and health of the United States.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
• /
• v.57 no.1
• /
• pp.435-456
• /
• 2023

This study aims to check whether e-book purchase contracts have sufficient requirements to serve as legal basis for e-book lending outside the library, and also to understand the current status and characteristics of the library's e-book purchase contracts. To this end, the legal and technical environment related to e-book lending was reviewed, and the elements that must be included in the license contract were summarized as the legal basis for e-book lending. Based on this, it was analyzed whether these requirements were properly reflected in actual contract cases. For three years from 2020 to 2022, the actual 43 contracts that were bid through the Korea On-line E-Procurement System were inspected, and then problems were pointed out, and improvement measures were proposed.

• International Commerce and Information Review
• /
• v.12 no.3
• /
• pp.79-98
• /
• 2010

The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws promulgated the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) in 1999. In 2000 and 2002, this Act was also Amended. UCITA provides a comprehensive set of rules for licensing computer information, whether computer software or other clearly identified forms of computer information. Computerized databases and computerized music are other examples of computer information that would be subject to UCITA. It would also govern access contracts to sites containing computer information, whether on or off the Internet. UCITA would not govern contracts, even though they may be licensing contracts, for the traditional distribution of movies, books, periodicals, newspapers, or the like. Part 8 of UCITA provides a remedy structure somewhat modeled on that of Article 2 but adapted in significant respects to the different context of a computer information transaction. For example, 808 of UCITA recognizes the focus in a license context for a licensor's remedy should properly be on recovery for benefit conferred or for lost profit, rather than on damage measurement by a substitute transaction, where the license is non-exclusive so additional transactions are permitted and there is very little cost in reproduction of the information and its redistribution. Section 816 of UCITA also contains very important limitations on the generally recognized common law right of self-help as applicable in the electronic context.

• Journal of Arbitration Studies
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.145-167
• /
• 2007

Digital goods are defined as intangible and non-physical goods, composed of a combination of digital signals, electronically represented as 0 and 1. They are also called as digital products, electronic transmissions, information goods, digital contents, computer information, etc. Digital goods are now traded both domestically and internationally as well as on-line and off-line. Korean government revised the Basic Law on Foreign Trade to include digital goods and services as the scope of foreign trade in 2001. Trade volume of digital goods are increasing in Korea. The supply chains of digital goods from producing the components to selling globally to consumers are different from conventional physical goods. Mostly, digital goods are traded on the license basis rather than ownership contract. End User License Agreements(EULAs), such as shrink-wrap, click- wrap, or browser-wrap licenses are very popular in online transactions. Unlike conventional physical goods. the breach of license contract is closely linked with the infringement of intellectual property rights. Digitalized intellectual property is easy to copy and transmit in the cyber space. In cases of legal disputes from the breach of license contract, commercial arbitration or on-line alternative dispute resolutions(ADRs) are regarded as better approach to solve them rather than court sues. For promoting more secure and reliable international trade of digital goods. arbitration clauses should be included in most of license contracts.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Library and Information Science
• /
• v.38 no.1
• /
• pp.199-228
• /
• 2004

The purpose of the study is to develop a license model which could be used as guidelines during the process of contracting for the use of electronic journals in the academic libraries. The study was done through the following 4 steps. First, through the analysis of previous related literature, the study examined the licensing principles, the structure of the license, the relationship between copyright and contracts, and the development of license models in the library. Secondly, through the analysis of the basic structure of 5 representative license models abroad and 2 domestic licenses, the study established the basic structure of license model. Thirdly, a questionnaire was conducted on library licensee and the vendor licensor in order to find out the present states and problems of library contracting and their opinion on the core clauses of the contract. Lastly, having based on the results of the investigations mentioned above, the study finally developed the license model.

• THE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE & LAW REVIEW
• /
• v.19
• /
• pp.169-190
• /
• 2003

Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) for e-commerce in non-UCC and non-UETA transactions, promulgated in 1999. The Act Drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. UCITA applies to contracts to license or buy software, contracts to create computer programs, contracts for on-line access to databases and contracts to distribute information over the Internet. UCITA does not apply to goods such as television sets, stereo equipment, airplanes or traditional books and publications. Goods generally remain subject to UCC Article 2 or Article 2A. Many transactions may include more than computer information. If that transaction covers non-goods subject matter, UCITA applies only to the part of the transaction which is computer information and other law applies to the other subject matter. In the event the other subject matter is goods, UCC Article 2 or 2A applies to the goods subject matter and UCITA applies to the computer information part. UCITA is coordinated with existing Articles 2 and 2A, so coverage of each to part of the transaction will be facilitated. With respect to other subject matter (primarily services) UCC Articles 2 and 2A have worked in mixed transactions with the common law applicable to the services.

• KSLA Bulletin
• /
• s.2
• /
• pp.43-56
• /
• 2010

Since core scholarly journals have been digitalized, license contracts for e-resources have been dramatically increased. Librarians have had difficulties in understanding various and complex license models that are proposed by publishers in a period of time. The standardization of license models for journals have been more in demand and standard model license for journals have been developed by librarians, publishers, consortia and the third party. In this study, we explain the development of the standard license model of KESLI consortium.(hereafter, KESLI model) The availability of KESLI model has been analyzed by comparing with established standard license models. As a result, KESLI model is proved to be adopted and used in a practical contract process of e-journals through consortium.

• International Commerce and Information Review
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.191-210
• /
• 2017

The old sources of competitive edge and value added were land, labor, and capital. In today's knowledge-based economy in the 21st century, technology is attracting attention as a new engine of growth. That paradigm shift of world economy has resulted in the global spread of technology transfer and the gradual increase of trade of intangible goods including patents and know-how as well as tangible goods in international trade. An international license agreement is a representative form of technology transfer. In license agreements, the providers of technology keep their ownership of technology, allow the implementation of technology to the users of technology only for a certain period of time, and receive loyalty as a reward. Economic profit through such technology trade can be realized with the smooth implementation and termination of agreement. International license agreements are different from sales contracts, which represent international business transaction based on mutual obligation, in many aspects in that they target intangible goods of technology and aim for rent for a certain period of time. This study thus set out to examine issues that could be controversial in the main and individual obligation of the parties in international license agreements and provide implications helpful for the prevention of disputes in advance.

• International Commerce and Information Review
• /
• v.4 no.2
• /
• pp.1-12
• /
• 2002

The purpose of this paper is to examine the scope of the application of Preliminary Draft Convention, which will be fixed as international uniform rules soon, in relation to the CISG. First, this Draft Convention will cover service contracts as well as sales contract of goods, but the license agreement will be excepted because it does not transfer the complete property. Second, this will cover the commercial contracts(sales or services) concluded by data message fully or partially. Third, this will be applied in international contract regardless of contracting states or non-contracting states. As it is very difficult to confirm the places of business of contracting parties in on-line contracts, the first criterion to confirm them is the indication by the party in each contract. This presumption may be supplemented, if they are not indicated in the contract, by the location of the equipment and technology supporting an information system used by a legal entity for the conclusion of a contract. It is essential to establish an international uniform rules as soon as possible in order to activate the international businesses with on-line basis. Thus this author hopes that this paper will contribute to the clear understanding to the scope of application of Preliminary Draft Convention for which the UNCITRAL is under working.