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ECLI:EU:C:2012:85
JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Third Chamber)
16 February 2012 (*)
(Information society — Copyright — Internet — Hosting service provider — Processing of information stored on an
online social networking platform — Introducing a system for filtering that information in order to prevent files
being made available which infringe copyright — No general obligation to monitor stored information)
In Case C‑360/10,
REFERENCE for a preliminary ruling under Article 267 TFEU from the rechtbank van eerste aanleg te Brussel
(Belgium), made by decision of 28 June 2010, received at the Court on 19 July 2010, in the proceedings
Belgische Vereniging van Auteurs, Componisten en Uitgevers CVBA (SABAM)
v
Netlog NV,
THE COURT (Third Chamber),
composed of K. Lenaerts, President of the Chamber, J. Malenovský (Rapporteur), R. Silva de Lapuerta, G. Arestis
and D. Šváby, Judges,
Advocate General: P. Cruz Villalón,
Registrar: M. Ferreira, Principal Administrator,
having regard to the written procedure and further to the hearing on 7 July 2011,
after considering the observations submitted on behalf of:
Belgische Vereniging van Auteurs, Componisten en Uitgevers CVBA (SABAM), by B. Michaux, F. de Visscher and
F. Brison, advocaten,
Netlog NV, by P. Van Eecke, advocaat,
the Belgian Government, by T. Materne and J.-C. Halleux, acting as Agents,
the Italian Government, by G. Palmieri, acting as Agent, assisted by S. Fiorentino, avvocato dello Stato,
the Netherlands Government, by C. Wissels, acting as Agent,
the United Kingdom Government, by S. Ossowski, acting as Agent,
the European Commission, by A. Nijenhuis and J. Samnadda, acting as Agents,
having decided, after hearing the Advocate General, to proceed to judgment without an Opinion,
gives the following
Judgment
This reference for a preliminary ruling concerns the interpretation of:
Directive 2000/31/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 June 2000 on certain legal aspects of
information society services, in particular electronic commerce, in the Internal Market (Directive on electronic
commerce) (OJ 2000 L 178, p. 1);
Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of
certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society (OJ 2001 L 167, p. 10);
Directive 2004/48/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the enforcement of
intellectual property rights (OJ 2004 L 157, p. 45, and corrigenda OJ 2004 L 195, p. 16, and OJ 2007 L 204, p. 27);
Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of
individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (OJ 1995 L 281,
p. 31); and
Directive 2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing of
personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector (Directive on privacy and
electronic communications) (OJ 2002 L 201, p. 37).
The reference has been made in proceedings between Belgische Vereniging van Auteurs, Componisten en
Uitgevers CVBA (SABAM) (‘SABAM’) and Netlog NV (‘Netlog’), the owner of an online social networking platform,
concerning Netlog’s obligation to introduce a system for filtering information stored on its platform in order to
prevent files being made available which infringe copyright.
Legal context
European Union (EU) law
Directive 2000/31
Under recitals 45, 47 and 48 in the preamble to Directive 2000/31:
The limitations of the liability of intermediary service providers established in this Directive do not affect the
possibility of injunctions of different kinds; such injunctions can in particular consist of orders by courts or
administrative authorities requiring the termination or prevention of any infringement, including the removal of
illegal information or the disabling of access to it.
curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=119512&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=lst&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=150383
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