Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Fair dealing'

Thesis (LLM)--Stellenbosch University, 2012.
Includes bibliography
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis analyses current South African copyright law to ascertain the proper interpretation and application of the fair dealing provisions contained in the Copyright Act 98 of 1978. Copyright law ensures that authors’ works are not used without their consent, which they can grant subject to compensation or conditions attached to the use. Fair dealing exceptions allow the general public to use copyright works for certain purposes without the copyright owner’s consent and without paying compensation. These provisions are intended to balance copyright owners’ interests with the interest that members of the public have in using copyright works for socially beneficial purposes. These provisions typically allow the use of a copyright work for the purposes of research or private study, personal or private use, criticism and review, and news reporting. Unfortunately there is no South African case law concerning the fair dealing provisions, and the application of these exceptions remains unclear. This study aims to clarify the extent of application of the fair dealing exceptions to copyright infringement so that courts may be more willing to consider foreign and international law and in doing so develop South African intellectual property law. The social and economic policy considerations underlying the fair dealing exceptions are considered to determine their function. International conventions relating to copyright and neighbouring rights are examined, specifically the provisions allowing exceptions to copyright. The legislation and case law of Australia and the United Kingdom are analysed to determine the proper interpretation and application of these statutory defences. This knowledge is then used to inform South African law. The Copyright Act 98 of 1978 does not contain a fair dealing exception for parody and satire. Australian legislation does contain such an exception, and it is analysed in that context. An exception for parody is proposed for South African law, and the need for and application of this provision is considered. The constitutionality of the proposed exception is evaluated in terms of its impact on the constitutional property rights of copyright owners.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek Suid-Afrikaanse outeursreg om die behoorlike uitleg en toepassing van die “billike gebruik”-bepalings in die Wet op Outeursreg 98 van 1978 te bepaal. Outeursreg beskerm die werk van ʼn outeur teen ongemagtigde gebruik van haar intellektuele eiendom. Gebruik kan deur die outeur gemagtig word, òf teen vergoeding òf onderhewig aan bepaalde voorwaardes. Artikels 12-19B (die billike gebruik-bepalings) van die Wet op Outeursreg laat ander toe om sekere werke te gebruik sonder die toestemming van die eienaar van die werk en sonder om vergoeding te betaal. Die bepalings streef om ʼn balans te tref tussen die belange van die outeur en die belange van die publiek. ʼn Werk mag volgens hierdie bepalings tipies gebruik word vir die doeleindes van navorsing of private studie, persoonlike of private gebruik, beoordeling of resensie, of om nuus te rapporteer. Daar is tans geen Suid-Afrikaanse regspraak rakende hierdie uitsonderings nie, en hul toepassing is dus onseker. Hierdie tesis beoog om die werking van die billike gebruik-bepalings duidelik uiteen te sit om hoër gewilligheid in howe te skep om internasionale en buitelandse reg toe te pas, en sodoende Suid-Afrikaanse immateriële goederereg te ontwikkel. Die sosiale en ekonomiese beleidsoorwegings wat die bepalings ondersteun word geanaliseer om die doel daarvan te bepaal. Internasionale outeursreg-verdragte word bespreek om ʼn raamwerk vir die uitsonderings te skep. Wetgewing en regspraak van Australië en die Verenigde Koninkryk word ondersoek, en die kennis wat daar opgedoen word, word toegepas op die Suid-Afrikaanse bepalings. Die Wet op Outeursreg 98 van 1978 bevat geen uitsondering vir die doeleindes van parodie en satire nie. Die Australiese Wet op Outeursreg 63 van 1968 bevat wel so ʼn uitsondering, en dit word in hierdie verband beoordeel. ʼn Uitsondering vir parodie en satire word voorgestel en oorweeg in die konteks van Suid-Afrikaanse outeursreg. Die grondwetlikheid van die voorgestelde uitsondering word bepaal na aanleiding van die impak wat dit sal hê op outeurs se eiendomsreg.

Las negociaciones contractuales, a primera vista, parecen un simple juego de ofertas y aceptaciones, sobre las cuales se han escrito innumerables tratados teóricos y prácticos. Sin embargo, ¿qué sucede cuando las partes escapan a esta clásica forma de negociar y entran al campo de los acuerdos preliminares? Muy pocos son los autores que se han aventurado a opinar sobre el tema. En el presente artículo, el autor nos lleva através del intricado mundo de los acuerdos preliminares y las reglas que los rigen.Asimismo, nos explica los criterios de la responsabilidad precontractual y los casos enque ésta se aplica.

Les exceptions au droit d’auteur sont une série de situations où il est retranché aux droits exclusifs de l’auteur, alors même que leur définition devrait conduire ceux-ci à s’appliquer. Les exceptions révèlent la philosophie d’un système de droit d’auteur ou de copyright. Le droit d’auteur français prévoit un ensemble fermé d’exceptions spécifiques, énumérées de façon expresse et exhaustive par la loi. Elles sont d’interprétation stricte par le juge. La présente thèse s’intéresse à ce système français d’exceptions, à ses imperfections et s’attache à rechercher de potentiels axes d’amélioration. Alors que la copie privée concentre souvent l’attention des commentateurs, il semble utile de s’intéresser à l’autre versant des exceptions, les exceptions à usage public qui, parce qu’elles réalisent la communication de l’œuvre au public, portent une atteinte assez directe au monopole. Le législateur français est appelé, lorsqu’il entend créer une exception, à exercer une « balance des intérêts » assez peu étudiée par la doctrine française. La première partie de cette thèse est consacrée à cette balance des intérêts législative, et à l’écart entre ce qu’elle devrait être, idéalement, et ce que les derniers travaux législatifs laissent paraître de sa réalité. Le second temps de l’étude se concentre sur la mise en œuvre des exceptions. Leur application classique, d’abord, qui fait appel à la fonction d’interprétation des textes par le juge dans ce qu’elle a de plus traditionnel. Mais également, ensuite, une nouvelle forme de mise en œuvre, qui a fait irruption sous l’ère numérique : la régulation des exceptions. Ce phénomène englobe la garantie des exceptions contre les mesures techniques de protection, ainsi que l’application du « test des trois étapes » par le juge
Exceptions to copyright (or author’s right) are a set of situations which cut off into the exclusive rights of the author, whereas their definition should lead these to apply. Exceptions reveal the philosophy of a system of author’s right or copyright. French “droit d’auteur” provides for a closed set of purpose-specific exceptions, expressly and exhaustively listed in the law. They are construed strictly by the judge. The present thesis studies this French system of exceptions, its imperfections and looks for potential areas of improvement. While private copying usually concentrates the observers’ attention and comments, it seems useful to insist upon the other side of exceptions, the exceptions for public use, which, since they carry out the communication of the work to the public, encroach quite directly the authors’ privilege. When he envisions to create an exception, the French legislator is expected to exercise a “balance of interests” rarely studied by French doctrine. The first part of this thesis is devoted to this legislative balance of interests, and to the gap existing between what it should ideally be, and what the latest legislative works let appear of its reality. The second part of the study focuses on the implementation of exceptions. Firstly, their classical application, which conveys the function of texts interpretation by the judge in its most traditional features. Secondly, a new form of implementation, which appeared with the digital world: the regulation of exceptions. This phenomenon encompasses the safeguard of exceptions against protection of technological measures, as well as the application of the “three-step-test” by the judge

This paper will cover the adoption of the concept in various instruments such as the Convention for the International sale of goods (CISG) in Article 7(1), the UCC of the United States, UNIDROIT in article 1.7, and the most important adoption on the European continent, the Principles of European Contract Law (PECL), specifically article 1: 202(1) and 1: 106 (1) of the principles. The question that will be raised and probably answered in the course of this paper is whether, the adoption of the concept of good faith and fair dealing has made a difference in international commercial contracts, the extent of its contribution, the hindrances faced, whether such problems can be addressed, how they can be addressed and finally whether uniformity in interpretation and application of the doctrine is maintained. Under domestic law, the adoption of good faith and fair dealing notion into various legal systems and its implementation and enforcement thereof will be looked into, an attempt will be made to determine the main reasons why some states refuse to adopt the doctrine, and whether adoption of the doctrine in such states would make a substantial impact on their legal systems. Under the approaches adopted by various domestic legal systems in incorporating the doctrine into their laws, and in trying to deduce whether uniformity in interpretation and application of the doctrine can be attained, the jurisdictions that will be looked into are; German, which is a pioneer when it comes to the adoption of the doctrine within the European Union. The German Treu und Glauben provides for such, and has been included in the BGB (German Civil Code). In the provisions of the BGB, one is not only required to act reasonably, but there must be a relationship of trust based on the commercial dealings of the parties in a particular transaction. It has been noticed that most European countries, for instance France and Italy have this similar approach towards the concept of good faith and fair dealing, of course there are always minor differences in every legal system, and these will be highlighted. England of course is an exception, and in this paper it will be considered separately. It is regarded different due to its historical background, thus the doctrine in England is approached differently, and there are limitations in its application. In the United States the doctrine of good faith and fair dealing has been adopted through the Uniform Commercial Code, section 1-203. This section unfortunately does not apply to the formation or negotiation of the contract. Numerous other sections seem to refer to the doctrine, even the Second Restatement on Contracts does touch on the concept. In fact it is the most recent re-enactment of some of the provisions in the Uniform Commercial Code. In the United States the doctrine basically applies to performance and enforcement in contracts. English law reluctantly recognizes a general duty to act in good faith, it arrives at similar results as those arrived at by other countries when it comes to the implementation of the doctrine, even though the avenues used are different. The starting point in English Law was the judgment of Justice Steyn in Banque Financiere and of course the judgment of Sir Thomas Bingham in the Interfoto case. The cause started by these judges was later fueled by the unwavering support of the European Community. Before long it had become accepted that the doctrine could not be ignored anymore in England, and slowly its inception began. Even though the concept is legally accepted, it has not yet managed to get complete acceptance from the English legal fraternity, it is still approached and applied with caution. This paper intends to discuss the reasons for such slow progress of the concept in England, and further compare the position to that of other European states. In South Africa the doctrine of good faith has existed for quite sometime, mostly referred to as bonae fides, a doctrine which played a great role in the development of Roman contract law, and further influenced the development of the principle of equity in civil law. But this did not give the doctrine of good faith formal acceptance in the South African legal system, it has over the years been regarded as an elusive concept which could only destabilize well established legal rules. Most judges regard the doctrine as a threat to their views on freedom of contract being an absolute basis of the law of contract. The concept was accepted in a couple of instances , for instance, in Eerste Nasionale Bank van Suidelike Africa Bpk v Saayman in 1997, it was later dismissed in Brisley v Drotsky, where it was held that the doctrine could not be accepted as a basis to set aside or enforce a contractual relationship. This was confirmed in Afrox Healthcare Bpk v Strydom in 2002, it is now settled that in South Africa, the concept of good faith cannot be used in dealing with cases involving contractual unfairness that cannot be handled by pre existing rules, but public policy can. This work intends to follow up on the development of the concept of good faith in South Africa, and the reasons for its subsequent dismissal in Drotsky, not forgetting to outline the doctrine's future in the country's legal system and the effects of dismissing such doctrine.

The exceptions for individual use give rise to interesting and fundamental concerns drawing both international and national attention. There is uncertainty in the application of the individual use exceptions both in the international copyright treaties, particularly the three-step test of the Berne Convention, and in the national copyright legislation. To have a better understanding of this concerns, this thesis aims to: investigate whether the exceptions for individual use can still maintain the balance of interests between the copyright holders and users; analyse the contribution that international copyright agreements and national copyright legislation may have made to assist in solving the conflict of interest between right holder countries and user countries in applying the exceptions for individual use; and conduct a comparative study of the application of the individual use exceptions in developed and developing countries. The understandings that are found within this study are informed by relevant literature and by analysis of the application of the individual use exceptions. The thesis examines the application of the individual use exceptions in the international copyright treaties, namely, the Berne Convention, the TRIPS Agreement, and the WIPO Copyright Treaty in order to determine the appropriate ?balance? between the rights of owners and users in the three-step test. To explore the uncertainty in the individual use exceptions at the national level, a comparative case study is made between the exceptions for individual use in Australia, a developed country, and Thailand, a developing country. The results of the study reveal three major answers. First, the exceptions for individual use are able to still maintain the balance of interest between right holders and users in the digital environment, if some amendments are made to keep pace with the digital environment. Secondly, to assist in the solution to the conflict of interest between right holder countries and user countries in applying the exceptions for individual use, the international copyright agreements can make a contribution by making some minor changes, mainly in the three-step test of the Berne Convention, and by continuing to provide special treatments for developing countries. Nationally, the contribution may be made by thoroughly protecting the right holders whilst also still allowing individual use by amending the copyright legislation to update to the digital age when necessary, enacting the relevant Acts, and establishing a collecting society. Finally, from the comparison of the application of the exceptions for individual use as well as problems found and solutions proposed in developed and developing countries, in which Australia and Thailand are used as case studies, the comparison of the application of the exceptions for individual use can be divided into four categories: fair use exceptions (Australian fair dealing and Thai private use exceptions), free use exceptions, licences (Australian statutory licences and Thai compulsory licence), and limitation of legislative individual use provisions. In addition, the problem of different interpretations of the exceptions for individual use, the problem of conformity in the application of the exceptions for individual use according to the real purpose of the three-step test, which exists in Thailand, and the problem of response to the digital environment are all used as the frame for the comparison of the problems found and proposed solutions. The findings of the study are significant as they can provide contributions to the copyright areas primarily in the legal aspect: amendment of the exceptions for individual use. In addition, they also contribute to the related aspect in the copyright areas: the economic aspect: the balance between developed and developing Countries; and the moral aspect: developing countries? development. In addition, the thesis proposes four useful recommendations to enable the balance of interest between the right holders and the users to be maintained: amendment of the wording in the three-step test of the Berne Convention, amendment of domestic copyright law and its exceptions for individual use, encouragement of the role of collective management organisations, and raising public awareness on the issue of copyright and its exceptions for individual use.

This thesis examines how Vietnamese copyright law should develop to promote innovation and development in the digital age. It focuses on the important role of limitations and exceptions to copyright in encouraging access to and reuse of copyright material. This research provide important recommendations for how the scope of copyright limitations and exceptions might be expanded by adopting fair use in order to embrace new opportunities provided by the digital economy. Furthermore, it suggests that Vietnam should extend the scope of some important provisions that provide privileges for education, libraries and people with disabilities.

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 183-205).
This study investigated the perceptions of academic librarians, managers of consortia, users of digital content, and rights holders whether licensing agreements effectively inhibit access to digital content and whether there is a need to establish an equivalent to the fair dealing exemption in the digital environment. The protection that is accorded to digital content is complex. An empirical survey based on qualitative method was conducted in 2003 - 2004 in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, to examine whether licences inhibit access to digital content and whether an equivalent to the fair dealing exemption was necessary in the digital environment. Methodology used in the survey consisted of interviews from structured questions. Using grounded theory, certain perceptions and misconceptions were found in the interview responses. Thereafter it was possible to suggest that the debate as to whether licences inhibit access to digital content and whether an equivalent to the fair dealing exemption is needed in the digital environment is perhaps inconclusive. However, it is proposed that as licences theoretically inhibit access to digital content, it may be necessary for an equivalent to the fair dealing exemption to be instituted to balance the rights of rights holders with those of consumers of digital content. The new fair dealing exemption would be able to theoretically balance the alleged inhibition caused by licensing agreements.

Sąžiningumo ir sąžiningos dalykinės praktikos principas yra įtvirtintas kontinentinės teisės tradicijos valstybių doktrinose bei tarptautiniuose sutarčių teisę harmonizuojančiuose dokumentuose (UNIDROIT Principuose, PECL ir Europos civilinio kodekso projekte). Skirtingose valstybėse šiam principui suteikiamas skirtingas vaidmuo bei apimtis – Vokietijoje sąžiningumui skiriamas itin didelis dėmesys, o Prancūzijoje daugiau koncentruojamasi į šalių valią ir sąžiningumo doktrina yra nedaug išplėtota. Lietuvos 2001 m. Civilinio kodekso 6.158 straipsnyje įtvirtintas sąžiningumo ir sąžiningos dalykinės praktikos principas yra recepuotas iš UNIDROIT Principų 1.7 straipsnio. Sąžiningumo ir sąžiningos dalykinės praktikos principo turinio neįmanoma apibrėžti a priori – jis paliekamas suformuluoti teismams konkrečių aplinkybių kontekste. Lietuvos teisės doktrinoje yra beveik nenagrinėjamas sąžiningumo ir sąžiningos dalykinės praktikos principas bei jo aspektai. Manytina, kad, kaip ir UNIDROIT Principuose bei PECL, Lietuvos sutarčių teisėje šis principas turėtų būti suvokiamas objektyviąja prasme. Sistemiškai aiškinant 2001 m. Civilinio kodekso nuostatas matyti, kad 1.5 straipsnį, kuriame įtvirtinti teisingumo, protingumo ir sąžiningumo principai, bei 6.158 straipsnio 1 dalį, kurioje įtvirtintas sąžiningumo ir sąžiningos dalykinės praktikos principas, sieja subordinacinis santykis. Šiame darbe daroma išvada, kad 1.5 straipsnis turėtų būti laikomas lex generalis, o 6.158 straipsnio 1 dalis... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]
The principle of good faith and fair dealing is established in the doctrines of continental law tradition countries and the international documents harmonizing contract law (UNIDROIT Principles, PECL and European Civil Code project). This principle possesses different role and volume in different countries: in Germany, good faith is especially important, while France is more concentrated on the willpower of parties, while good faith doctrine is poorly developed. The good faith and fair dealing practice was receipted from UNIDROIT Principles, Article 1.7 and established in the Lithuanian Civil Code of 2001, Article 6.158. The content of good faith and fair dealing can hardy be described a priori – it is the courts to formulate them in the context of a definite situation. Good faith and fair dealing is not widely analysed in the doctrine of Lithuanian law. This principle is thought to be understood in the objective way, as it is in UNIDROIT Principles and PECL. According to systematic explanation of the Civil Code regulations of 2001, Article 1.5, which establishes the principles of justice, rationality and good faith and the Article 6.158, part 1, establishing the principle of good faith and fair dealing are in the subordinate relation with each other. This study concludes that the Article 1.5 must be considered as lex generalis, while the Article 6.158, Part 1, must be considered as lex specialis in relation to the Article 1.5. Thus the principle established in the Article 6... [to full text]

Framställan behandlar i vilken utsträckning den ena avtalspartens brott mot lojalitetsplikten medför att den andra avtalsparten får en, helt eller delvis, inskränkt lojalitetsplikt (lojalitetsreciprocitet). Då lojalitetsreciprocitet utgör en del av lojalitetsplikten är förståelsen för det senare institutet avgörande för att kunna analysera reciprociteten. Därför studeras även lojalitetspliktens innehåll och betydelse. Slutsatserna om reciprocitet grundas i stor utsträckning på avtalstyper där lojalitetsplikten är särskilt långtgående. Det medför slutsatserna störst betydelse vid en mer långtgående lojalitetsplikt. Emellertid gör slutsatserna anspråk på att vara så generella att de grunder och principer som fastställs för bedömningen har betydelse även vid en mindre långtgående lojalitetsplikt. Vidare studeras reciprociteten i förhållande till lojalitetsförpliktelser, vilka inte skiljer sig åt lika mycket mellan olika kontraktstyper. En fråga av stor vikt för lojalitetsreciprocitetens betydelseområde är om det kan anses föreligga en allmän lojalitetsplikt inom hela kontraktsrätten. Slutsatsen i den delen är att det föreligger en allmän lojalitetplikt inom varje kontraktstyp även om den är starkt varierande till sin omfattning. Det medför att lojalitetsreciprocitet får ett stort betydelseområde eftersom det då kan beaktas inom varje kontraktstyp avseende både den allmänna lojalitetsplikten och lojalitetsförpliktelserna. Föremålet för framställan, lojalitetsreciprocitet, analyseras dels utifrån förekommande lojalitetsreciprocitet inom ett antal utvalda kontraktstyper (bl.a. mellanmans-, samarbets- och företagsförsäkringsförhållanden), dels utifrån reciprocitet oberoende av kontraktstyp. Utifrån de reciprocitetsuttryck som finns i materialet fastställs generella ramar och principer för bedömningen av lojalitetsreciprocitet inom lojalitetsplikten i dess helhet. Slutsatserna visar att det finns många gemensamma överväganden och principer för bedömningen av lojalitetsreciprocitet. För det första finns det tre förutsättningar som är nödvändiga för att lojalitetsreciprocitet överhuvudtaget ska kunna föreligga: ett lojalitetsbrott, en ömsesidig lojalitetsplikt och att reciprociteten inte drabbar en tredje avtalspart. För det andra har det identifierats två förhållanden som är av störst vikt för lojalitetsreciprocitet: dels  hur allvarligt lojalitetsbrottet är, dels i vilken omfattning reciprocitet skulle riskera onödig förstöring. Det förra har i sin tur funnits primärt vara beroende av den subjektiva skulden hos parten som begår lojalitetsbrottet, om denne varit i en överordnad ställning och hur långtgående lojalitetsplikten som inte efterlevdes var.För det tredje finns ett antal andra förhållanden som påverkar reciprociteten, bland annat: om skyddshänsyn avseende lojalitetssubjektet gör sig gällande, passivitet hos reciprocitetssubjektet och om annan lojalitetsbrottsverkan inträder.
The essay seeks to determine the extent to which a breach of the obligation of good faith reducesthe corresponding obligation of the other party to the contract (reciprocity). To be able to graspthe meaning and analyze reciprocity it is necessary to understand the institute of good faith.Thus, the text firstly examines good faith in general, followed by an analysis of reciprocity withinthat institute. The paper is based on legal sources typified by strong obligation of good faith.Accordingly, the analysis primarily sheds light on areas where the obligations of good faith arefar-reaching. The general principles of reciprocity, however, are applicable across the board,regardless of how strong the obligations of good faith are. The study evaluates reciprocity inrelation to several types of contracts, but it also interprets reciprocity as a freestanding generalprinciple which is applicable to all contracts. The specific obligations of good faith undoubtedly fall within the scope of reciprocity. Arelated and important question, which needs to be addressed, is whether there is a generalobligation of good faith within all type of contracts. The subsequent answer determines theadditional scope of reciprocity. In this matter the essay concludes that the question should beanswered in the affirmative. There is a general obligation of good faith, but the strength of thatobligation varies considerably depending on the type of contract. The conclusion of the essay is that there are several general principles within reciprocity.Firstly, there are three prerequisites for reciprocity: (i) a breach of the obligation of good faith; (ii)a mutual obligation of good faith between the involved parties; and (iii) the rule that reciprocitycannot affect a third party. Secondly, the paper identifies that the following two questions are the most significantfactors in the assessment of reciprocity: how severe is the breach of good faith and to whichextent does it entail negative economic consequences? An essential aspect of the former question is whether the party responsible for the breachhad ill intent and, if so, the degree and severity of that ill intent. Another important factor iswhether the party responsible for the breach is in a superior position. Three further examples of factors relevant to the assessment are: when a vulnerable partyis responsible for the breach such circumstances can affect the possibility of reciprocity andmitigate the seriousness of the misconduct in question; occasions when the other party has failedto act (passivity); and when the responsible party suffers consequences in addition to reciprocity.

An insurance contract is a contract of utmost good faith. The nature of the insurance bargain makes the duty a commercial necessity. Duties of disclosure and representation, which were two fundamental components of the principle of utmost good faith, operate in different ways in England and China. The insured and insurer in these two countries bears distinctive good faith related obligations pre- and post-contractually. English insurance law exercise considerable influence in most common law countries and some civil law jurisdictions. The separation between utmost good faith and the duty of fair presentation, with the abolition of the avoidance remedy, under the Insurance Act 2015 could influence other jurisdictions to alter their remedies. This thesis examines the application of the civil law notion of good faith and the common law duty of utmost good faith. It covers the operation of insured’s pre-contractual duties of disclosure and representation in both countries. The thesis considers the insurer’s duties as well as the continuing duties and the effect of utmost good faith taking in account the recent legislative changes on fraudulent claims and late payment. The thesis further examines the legal status of brokers and their disclosure duty in China and England. Finally, it also provides special considerations on consumers and micro-businesses.

Numerous statements and declarations have been made over recent decades in support of open access to research data. The growing recognition of the importance of open access to research data has been accompanied by calls on public research funding agencies and universities to facilitate better access to publicly funded research data so that it can be re-used and redistributed as public goods. International and inter-governmental bodies such as the ICSU/CODATA, the OECD and the European Union are strong supporters of open access to and re-use of publicly funded research data. This thesis focuses on the research data created by university researchers in Malaysian public universities whose research activities are funded by the Federal Government of Malaysia. Malaysia, like many countries, has not yet formulated a policy on open access to and re-use of publicly funded research data. Therefore, the aim of this thesis is to develop a policy to support the objective of enabling open access to and re-use of publicly funded research data in Malaysian public universities. Policy development is very important if the objective of enabling open access to and re-use of publicly funded research data is to be successfully achieved. In developing the policy, this thesis identifies a myriad of legal impediments arising from intellectual property rights, confidentiality, privacy and national security laws, novelty requirements in patent law and lack of a legal duty to ensure data quality. Legal impediments such as these have the effect of restricting, obstructing, hindering or slowing down the objective of enabling open access to and re-use of publicly funded research data. A key focus in the formulation of the policy was the need to resolve the various legal impediments that have been identified. This thesis analyses the existing policies and guidelines of Malaysian public universities to ascertain to what extent the legal impediments have been resolved. An international perspective is adopted by making a comparative analysis of the policies of public research funding agencies and universities in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia to understand how they have dealt with the identified legal impediments. These countries have led the way in introducing policies which support open access to and re-use of publicly funded research data. As well as proposing a policy supporting open access to and re-use of publicly funded research data in Malaysian public universities, this thesis provides procedures for the implementation of the policy and guidelines for addressing the legal impediments to open access and re-use.

Vid en fastighetsöverlåtelse är det mycket information som ska utbytas på kort tid, mellan köpare, säljare och mäklare vad beträffar fastighetens fysiska skick och standard. I egenskap av en lojal, opartisk och sakkunnig person avseende fastighetsförsäljningar, har mäklaren ålagts en upplysningsplikt avseende sådant kring fastighetens skick som denne iakttagit, känner till eller annars har anledning att misstänka, som kan antas ha betydelse för köparen. Räckvidden av mäklarens upplysningsplikt gentemot köparen, avseende fysiska missförhållanden enligt FML 16§ 3st. kommer att utgöra uppsatsens brännpunkt. I detta inryms att söka klar-göra vilka typer av fysiska missförhållanden som en mäklare förväntas informera en köpare om, för att inte riskera att drabbas av någon typ av påföljd. Därutöver utreds förutsägbarheten och ändamålsenligheten kring FML 16§ 3st. Bedömningen av mäklarens upplysningsplikt ska även ses utifrån köparens och säljarens inbördes ansvarsområden för faktiska fel i fastigheten, samt i vilken omfattning det anses motiverat att mäklaren ikläder sig parternas ansvarsroller. Hänsyn i bedömningen får även tas till det faktum att mäklaren åläggs en grundläggande lojalitetsplikt som denne uppbär gentemot såväl köparen som säljaren. Problematiken kan i första hand härledas till tvetydiga och tämligen oklara förarbetsuttalanden, samt frånvaron av prejudicerade rättspraxis på området. Rättsreglerna kring bestämmelsen synes därav även vara svåra att tillämpa i de lägre domstolsinstanserna och hos tillsynsmyndigheten, FMN. Därav kvarstår osäkerhet kring rättsläget avseende omfattningen av mäklarens upplysningsplikt vad beträffar fysiska missförhållanden härlett till fastigheten.
When selling a property there is much information, in regards to the property’s physical standard, which should be discussed between the parties; the realtor, the buyer and the property owner. In relation to the buyer and the property owner, the realtor will be known as a loyal, independent person that carries expert know-ledge in regards to selling property. Therefore the realtor should carry the liability to inform the buyer about physical errors according to the property, that has been found, or for some other reason will be known, or if there is a reason to suspect an error, that can be of  importance to the buyer. The focus point of this thesis is the magnitude of the realtor’s liability to inform the buyer on physical errors, according to FML 16§ 3st., and to examine what kind of physical errors that the buyer have the right to be informed of. Because if the realtor do not respect the obligations according to FML 16§ 3st., legal sanctions will be given. The author will also examine if the legal rule, FML 16§ 3st., is predictable and appropriate. To examine the magnitude of the realtor’s liability to inform the buyer on physical errors, the legal relation between the buyer and the property owner has to be taken into account according to JB 4:19§. The fact that the realtor also carries a responsibility to submit to good faith and fair dealing will also be interesting. The principal legal issue will be based on the unclear preparatory work, regarding to FML (2011:666) 16§ 3st., and the magnitude of realtor’s liability to inform the buyer on physical errors. Furthermore, there is no case law given by the Swedish Supreme Courts, and that is one more reason why the area is so hard to apply. The legal position will therefore stay unclear, according the realtor’s liability to inform the buyer about physical errors of the property.

In an attempt to strike a fair balance between rights of copyright holders and the public interest in the dissemination of intellectual works, the copyright law has established exceptions to the exclusive rights granted to creators. However, doubts concerning the applicability of these exceptions have raised discussions about whether the use of copyrighted materials in documentaries qualifies as a fair dealing or other exception to copyright, uncertainties that lead producers to use only duly authorized materials in order to avoid possible claims. This thesis analyzes the copyright exceptions set out in the Canadian law and their applicability to protected materials inserted in documentaries. This thesis suggests that the legislation should be modified in order to help producers to identify situations in which those exceptions would be applicable to protected materials included in documentaries and to avoid over protective copyright rights that may restrain the production and dissemination of documentary films.

This is a Thesis about the broad ideas and tendencies in our law of contract. In particular, its investigative burden is the emergent idea of “good faith and fair dealing” in the law relating to the formation of contracts. Chapter One is concerned with the historically chequered germination of good-faith considerations in contract law. It shows how the development of modern contract law has been strongly influenced by the dominant ideological paradigms of other academic systems and disciplines. The chapter describes a progressive, universal acceleration of “good faith and fair dealing” themes in the twentieth-century contract jurisprudence, concluding that the issue today falls squarely in Australia’s legal agenda. Chapter Two enquires into the scope and meaning of good faith and fair dealing in contemporary contract jurisprudence. Eventually confining the enquiry strictly to the context of contract formation, it is concluded that good faith and fair dealing operates jurisprudentially as a general, organising principle or idea, which in practice produces a system of variable standards or norms of conduct administered through well established and discrete legal and equitable doctrines that purport to “exclude” particular instances of “bad faith” conduct in the procurement of bargain transactions. Whereas good faith and fair dealing seems to exclude quite heterogenous forms of bad faith behaviour in the contexts of contract performance and enforcement, as the notion applies to contract formation, it appears to demonstrate a much sharper point of focus and a more precise content. The chapter identifies the specific norm informing the idea of good faith and fair dealing in contract formation as “the duty to protect the vulnerable”, or , as lawyers put it, “neighbourhood”. It is concluded that the duty to protect the vulnerable in the pre-contractual setting gives rise, first and foremost, to a duty not to exploit those contracting parties whose interests are especially vulnerable to one’s own choices and actions (to help or to hurt) in bargaining. Chapter Three views bargaining as a unique interpersonal process in which parties with divergent interests engage in stylised reciprocal dealings with a view to reaching a valid or acceptable agreement concerning future action. The chapter describes an internal, process driven “functionalist” ethic of bargaining. This ethic embraces a convergence of deontological and teleological sources of moral reasoning. According to the assumptions informing the ethic, the law views strategic bargaining practices, or “advantage-taking”, as an accepted part of the bargaining “game”. Correspondingly, under conditions of fair equality (“equilibrium bargaining conditions”), the law generally expects and requires parties to exercise individual responsibility in bargaining activity. However, where the opportunity to preserve one‘s own best interests is effectively closed off from one of the bargaining parties, or where social or moral norms are generally insufficient to constrain unacceptable exercises of interpersonal bargaining power, contract law has demonstrated a basic willingness to regulate what is ordinarily understood to be an externally unregulated process. This it essentially does by focusing on the “voluntariness” of the consent-rendering party. The voluntariness of that consent, however, is assessed relative to the strategic bargaining practices of the other party, who might have actively or passively procured or accepted the consent while aware of the first party’s serious inability to participate in the particular bargaining game. Specifically, the chapter concludes, whether a party’s consent is in law “consensual” hence “responsible”, translates into the fundamental question of whether it has been exploitatively accepted or procured by the other party. A contract procured through exploitation will be defeasible at the option of the victim of such action. Chapter Four argues that the concept of “exploitation” lies at the logical core of the traditional heads of relief in the context of contract formation. In particular, this applies to those doctrines traditionally considered to “police” the conduct of negotiations, and customarily collected under a broad “unconscionability” rubric. Exploitation, which involves illegitimate advantage-taking, or wrongful use of one party’s superior bargaining position relative to another, is purely a process-orientated conception. Substantive considerations, such as the relative distribution of benefits and burdens under the resultant contract, are relevant only to the extent that they evidence an alleged procedural abuse. The unfairness, or wrongness, in acts of exploitation resides in the self-interested exercise of one’s bargaining power over another in circumstances where one is strongly duty-bound actually to protect-to have proper regard for the interests of-that other who is peculiarly susceptible to the exercise of such interpersonal power. Exploitation, the chapter argues, can be either “active” or “passive” depending on whether the superior party contributed casually to the other party’s exploitable circumstances, or whether he merely accepted a contractual benefit while knowing or having reason to know of a peculiar circumstance giving rise to his strong moral-cum-legal obligation positively to assist the other party. In Australian law, these ideas are centrally exemplified through the unconscionable dealings doctrine in equity. Chapters Five and Six are concerned with improper pressure or influence in contract formation as cardinal instances of actual or presumed active” exploitation, or manipulation. Pressure may be wrongful of its own nature, such as where an illegitimate threat is made to “coerce” another’s contractual assent (Chapter Five: duress), or by reason of some special relationship of trust or responsibility in which the influencer stands to his victim, and on account of which the law is prepared to presume that the peculiar influence arising from the parties’ special relation was unduly exercised by the ascendant party receiving or directing the receipt of a contractual benefit within the scope of the relation (Chapter Six: relational undue influence). Chapters Seven, Eight, and Nine are concerned with exploitation of asymmetric information in the procurement of bargain transactions. Specifically, Chapter Seven considers “misleading or deceptive conduct” as an example of active exploitation. Subject to the minimal “justifiable reliance” criterion in this context, misleading conduct potentially jeopardises the integrity of the bargaining process and creates exploitable circumstances. Chapter Eight’s burden is unilateral mistake I equity, where it is argued that equity’s jurisdiction to grant relief for the exploitation of a known unilateral mistake is, analytically, a limited and specific manifestation of the unconscionable dealings jurisdiction considered in Chapter Four. Chapter Nine advances similar arguments in relation to nondisclosure in contract formation generally, although it concludes by emphasising the need for unconscionable dealings’s critical focus to be sharpened by a system of risk analysis in the context of so-called “transactional disadvantage”.

Copyright is essentially the right of the rightsholder of an original work to prohibit others from making or distributing unauthorised copies of his or her work. More specifically for this dissertation, when an end user deals with digital content, one of the aims of copyright becomes the balancing of the conflicting interests in ‘exclusivity’ on the one hand, and in ‘access to information’ on the other. Exclusivity is achieved by the rightsholders through technological protection measures to protect their commercial interests. Access to information is achieved where works are available to the general public without payment and technological protection measures and where the digital content is not directly marketed for commercial gain. Exclusivity and access to information are two conflicting cultures surrounding copyright in the digital era. It is submitted that unless we find a socio-economic-legal way for the dynamic coexistence of these two conflicting cultures by means of fair dealing, the culture of exclusivity will eventually dominate fair access to information. The transient nature of digital content means that rightsholders have little or no control over their works once the end user has obtained a legal digital copy of the work. The right ‘to prohibit’ end users from copying and distributing unauthorised copies is, therefore, largely meaningless unless a legal or other solution can be found to discourage end users from the unauthorised reproduction and distribution of unauthorised copies of the work. Currently, technological protection measures are used to manage such digital rights because legal permissions within the doctrine of fair dealing for works in printed (analogue) format are inadequate. It is, however, submitted that a legal solution to discourage end users from copying and distributing unauthorised copies rests on two pillars. Firstly, the solution must be embedded in state-of-the-art digital rights management systems and secondly the business model used by publishers, and academic publishers in particular, should change fundamentally from a business-to-consumer model to a business-to-business model. Empirical evidence shows that the printing of e-content will continue to be relevant far into the future. Therefore, the management of fair dealing to allow for the printing of digital content will become increasingly important at educational institutions that use e-books as prescribed course material. It is submitted that although the origination cost of print editions and e-books correspond, the relatively high retail price of e-books appears to be based on the fact that academic publishers of digital content do not have the legal or digital rights management tools to manage the challenges arising from the fair dealing doctrine. The observation that academic publishers are reluctant to grant collecting societies mandates to manage the distribution of digital content, and/or the right to manage the authorised reproduction (printing) of the digital content, supports this hypothesis. Ultimately, with technologies at our disposal, the fair use of content in digital and print format can be achieved because it should simply be cheaper to comply with copyright laws than to make unauthorised digital or printed copies of content that our society desperately needs to make South Africa a winning nation.
Mercantile Law
LL. M.

Many people might think that downloading music without paying for it is not a big issue. Copyright owners disagree with this kind of reasoning because to them, music is intellectual property with substantial commercial value. Copyright law is the primary form of protection for intellectual property and is based on the fundamental principle that copyright works cannot be reproduced without the express consent of the copyright owner. During the late 90’s however, new technology made it possible for millions of people to download music from the Internet without the express consent of copyright owners. The mere act of downloading songs illegally violates the exclusive right of the copyright owner to reproduce the work. It has also created problems within copyright law that was not foreseeable in the 17th century when the Statute of Anne was enacted. In law, there is always an exception to the rule and it is no different with copyright law. Although copyright owners have the exclusive right to reproduce their work, the general public has been granted exceptions to make fair dealing of copyright works for private or personal use, purposes of research, private study, criticism, review or for reporting current events in a magazine, newspaper or periodical, broadcasting or by using the work in a cinematograph film by virtue of s12 of the Copyright Act 98 of 1978. However, the list of exceptions supra may be changed and/or extended, provided that it remains in line with the international conventions and agreements that South Africa is a member to. The three-step test is inter alia provided for in Art. 9(2) of the Berne Convention1 (Paris Text of 1971) and permit exceptions to the reproduction right of the copyright owner: 1) in certain special cases; 2) that do not conflict with the normal exploitation of the work and; 3) that does not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the author/rights holder. S17 provides that certain subsections of s12 shall apply mutatis mutandis with reference to sound recordings. However, s12(1)(a) is not one of the subsections mentioned in s17 which means that fair dealing in sound recordings for purposes of research or private study, or for personal or private use is NOT permitted. Fair dealing however, is not absolute nor is it an easy doctrine to interpret. The legal interpretation and application of fair dealing has been fraught with complexity since the English courts first dealt with fair abridgement of literary works between the 17th and 18th century but this complexity has been compounded even more by new technology, especially in relation to music works. The legal uncertainty of fair dealing with regard to music works is the reason why this comparative research has been undertaken in the jurisdictions of South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. Hopefully it will shed more light on the doctrine and lift the veil of confusion.
Jurisprudence
LLM

no
Singapore commercial contract law has taken an Asian perspective in respect of express terms of good faith in the negotiation of contract. In general, however, it adheres to the English contract law orthodoxy regarding good faith. More specifically, Singapore, like England, does not recognize a general duty or principle of good faith and it is reluctant to imply a duty of good faith into a contract. However, as a hub of international trade and a rising forum for commercial dispute resolution, Singapore will have a stronger need to reconcile the differences in good faith in contract law between the English/Commonwealth and the European-Asian legal traditions. Conventional wisdom and international commercial law instruments in this respect are not as helpful as one would expect for such a need. Instead, to an enlightening but limited extent, the “organizing principle” approach in Bhasin v Hrynew could be useful for setting up a framework for reconciling the differences. This framework could consist of an organising principle of (honouring) reasonable expectations, a duty of honesty, and a duty of fair dealing. The framework realistically concretises good faith into the three components, all of which are essentially objective and ascertainable in specific factual matrix and are well-recognised in both common law and civil law.

Culpa in Contrahendo Resumé The aim of this degree work is to introduce the institute of pre-contractual liability and its practical application. The work focuses on the position of this institute in the Czech legislation, its classification in the system of laws before the recodification of civil law, and its express regulation in Act No. 89/2012 Coll., Civil Code. Much attention is devoted to rulings of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic and its approach to the application of pre-contractual liability in specific cases. The degree work is divided into seven chapters. The first chapter defines the term 'Culpa in contrahendo', describes its origin in the work of a German jurist of genius, Rudolf von Jhering, and outlines the origin of the institute in Roman law. In this chapter is also a description of the first case of pre-contractual liability, 'Linoleumfall', which was resolved by the Imperial Court. The chapter also contains an overview of instances of pre-contractual liability embodied in foreign judicial codes. The second chapter describes the regulation of pre-contractual liability in the Czech body of laws before the recodification of civil law with illustrations of individual facts in issue formerly contained in Act No. 40/1964 Coll., Civil Code, and Act No. 513/1991 Coll., Commercial Code....

This dissertation focuses on the principle of good faith and on the principle of good faith and fair dealing. The differences between the two mentioned principles and the problems with terminology are covered. The author suggests and reasons for her own terminological solution. Furthermore, the dissertation discusses on the general delimitation of the two principles, their content and relation to other related principles. Moreover, it focuses on the legal frame of good faith and good faith and fair dealing principles including historical and comparative aspects of the issue. The author of the dissertation describes the practical impact of the two principles in question and compares the recent and current legal regulation. She analyses the practical impact of the principles of good faith and good faith and fair dealing in commercial relations: not only in the business contractual law but also in the life of a business corporation. Furthermore, the relevant judicature is covered including the delimitation of its possible applicability on the current legal regulation.

Pre-Contractual Liability (Culpa in Contrahendo) Summary The purpose of my thesis is to analyse the issue of pre-contractual liability from the microcomparative perspective which subsequently serves as the tool to characterise the main features of pre-contractual liability in the realm of Czech Civil and Commercial Codes. The reason for my research is to prove the existence and importance of pre-contractual liability in the Czech legal order as well as in the sphere of the European Union in the light of its respective case laws. The thesis is composed of five chapters, each of them dealing with different aspects of negotiation stage and pre-contractual liability. Chapter One is introductory and defines basic terminology, methodology used in the thesis, scope, and aims. Chapter Two examines chosen foreign legal regulations of pre-contractual liability. The essential attention is given to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as those legal systems are very close to the Czech one (historically and geographically). The French view is also considered because legislators seek to prepare the reform of obligation laws. Finally, common law of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America is discussed and challenged because of its adverse approach to pre-contractual liability....

Diese Arbeit behandelt das Thema "Rechtsinstitut der vorvertraglichen Haftung in Theorie und Praxis". Die ganze Arbeit ist in drei Teile gegliedert und zwar "Der Begriff der Vorvertraglichen Haftung", "Die Komparative Analyse der ausländischen Rechtsordnungen" und "Das tschechische Konzept der vorvertraglichen Haftung". Das Hauptziel dieser Arbeit ist, die praktischen Aspekte der vorvertraglichen Haftung zu beschreiben, was aber ohne ausreichende theoretische Grundlagen unmöglich ist. Die Doktrin culpa in contrahendo (Verschulden beim Vertragsabschluss) wird Rudolph von Jhering zugeschrieben, denn er hat im Jahre 1861 als erstes die charakteristischen Züge der vorvertraglichen Obligationen beschrieben. Der Autor ordnet in dem ersten Teil dieser Arbeit noch die vorvertragliche Haftung in das Rechtssystem ein. Die zum Teil von dem Autor entworfene Definition dient dann in dem zweiten und dritten Teil zu dem einfacheren Vergleich der Konzepte von vorvertraglicher Haftung in verschiedenen Rechtsordnungen. In dem zweiten Teil wird zuerst das deutsche Konzept der culpa in contrahendo beschrieben, wie es sich von R. von Jhering über die Schuldrechtsmodernisierung bis zum heutigen Tag entwickelt hat. Die Entwicklung der deutschen Auffassung der vorvertraglichen Haftung von der materiellen zur formalen...

The goal of my dissertation was to find out, how the consumers are informed about the consumer protection, if they know their rights and the organization dealing with this area. At first there were chosen four working hypotheses. Based on questionary research were these hypotheses confirmed or disconfirmed and in consequence was given suggestion to improve this situation - presentation of the organizations dealing with the consumers protection at expert fair. It was chosen fair Holiday World in Prague, beacause it is the biggest fair of tourism.

- The Principle of Fair Business Transactions The submitted thesis called The Principle of Fair Business Transactions deals with assessment of impacts of private law's recodification on this principle and the issue of its application. The thesis consists of two main parts - theoretical and analytical. The theoretical part is divided into general and specific. The general theoretical part focuses on the specification of the business principle and its emplacement among other similar private law's principles such as principle of good faith and fair dealing and good manners. The aim of this part was to define divergences of each of the principles and the aftermaths of breaking these principles. It is impossible to go through the topic of the principle of fair business transactions globally, especially due to the extensiveness and variety of usage of the principle in business law relationships. Therefore, special attention has been paid to the principle of fair business transactions in the field of contractual penalty in the next theoretical part. In the analytical part, I endeavour to deal with the issue of the exercising of the right of a contractual penalty. In the first part, there is a short discourse on the contractual penalty itself, definition of an inadequate amount of the contractual penalty...

Jusqu'à l'arrêt CCH Canadienne Ltée c Barreau du Haut-Canada, rendu par la Cour suprême en 2004, la doctrine canadienne opposait deux exceptions générales au droit d’auteur : l'utilisation équitable (fair dealing), existant surtout dans les pays du Commonwealth (dont le Canada), et l’usage loyal (fair use), exception présente aux États-Unis. Alors que le premier modèle serait restrictif et conservateur, le second se voudrait plus libéral et soucieux des droits des utilisateurs. Il va sans dire que certains auteurs contestaient le statu quo juridique et souhaitaient plutôt l'adoption d'une approche libérale, voire étatsunienne, en matière d'utilisation équitable au Canada. Or, depuis l'arrêt CCH et la pentalogie du droit d’auteur de 2012, un important changement conceptuel de cette dichotomie s’est opéré. Certains auteurs décrivent une réduction significative des différences entre les deux approches, rendant les distinctions futiles. Ainsi, nous sommes amenés à nous poser la question suivante : suite à la jurisprudence canadienne contemporaine, existe-t-il toujours une différence significative entre l'utilisation équitable et l’usage loyal ? Ce mémoire se veut une analyse de l’état du droit en 2019 afin de répondre à cette question. Au terme de son raisonnement, l’auteur arrive à la conclusion que même si les deux régimes se ressemblent plus que jamais, les différences entre ceux-ci sont suffisamment importantes pour ne pas les assimiler à une unique approche avec des variations mineures.
Until the Supreme Court of Canada decision CCH Canadian Ltd v Law Society of Upper Canada in 2004, the legal literature in Canada acknowledged two competing general exceptions to copyright: fair dealing, which exists especially in Commonwealth countries (including Canada), and fair use, an exception in the United States. While the former was seen as restrictive and conservative, the second was viewed as intending to be liberal and more concerned with user rights. Needless to say, some writers contested the legal status quo and wanted a liberal, even American, approach to fair dealing in Canada. However, since the CCH decision and the copyright pentalogy of 2012, there has been a significant conceptual shift with regard to this dichotomy. Some authors describe a significant reduction in the differences between the two approaches, making the distinctions of little consequence. As such, we are led to ask the following question: given the contemporary Canadian jurisprudence, is there still a significant difference between fair dealing and fair use? This dissertation is an analysis of the state of the law in 2019 for the purpose of answering this question. At the end of his examination of the issue, the author comes to the conclusion that even if the two regimes are more similar than ever, the differences between them are sufficiently important to not assimilate them into a single approach with minor variations.

Formation of a contract is nowadays more sophisticated than it formerly used to be due to major progress in communication technologies and technical development, and therefore, looking on negotiation process only through the notions of offer and acceptance alone appears to be somewhat insufficient. It is not unusual and infrequent that long term and complicated dealings take place prior to the conclusion of a contract, especially in more or less complex business matters. During various negotiation stages, many parties may incur different kinds of significant expenses in order to prepare well for the next phase of the negotiations and, eventually, for the targeted contractual performance. For the conclusion of a contract it may also be necessary to inform the other party about the terms and conditions which are essential for the first party's final decision about the contract, while some of this information might be considered as strictly confidential. Although the fundamental principle of contractual freedom allows the parties to act freely in negotiations and the contractual process is generally regarded as a non-binding relationship, there are some restrictions set up with the aim to protect good faith of the parties and support their fair dealings. According to the abovementioned, a situation...

The thesis deals with questions of pre-contractual liability which is seen as a very specific institute whose conception is diverse in different EU countries and also outside. The main research question is a difference between pre-contractual liability perception in the different countries and its full description in relation to the negotiations of business contracts with an emphasis on Czech law. In the first part, the author analyses historical background of pre-contractual liability in relation to Roman law and German-Austrian legal systems in which the professor Jhering developed that construction of culpa in contrahendo. In the following chapters, the author deals with the description and nature of pre-contractual liability, particularly in questions of whether they are contractual or delictual liability and enter into details the basic facts, example and extent of damages with respect to the European concept of pre-contractual liability. He concludes that the pre-contractual liability is in the European concept as delictual liability, with regard to the decision of European Court of Justice. The author simultaneously mentions that although similar facts in the legal systems, the extent of damages is very different when there is a clear dichotomy between positive and negative interesse. The...

The times when closing of the contract was as simple as making an offer and receiving its acceptance are long over now. A variuosly long period preceeds an establishment of a contractual relationship. During such period, when a contract is being formed, the parties exchange their requests or essential information and negotiate the content of the contract. The longer this pre-contractual negotiation lasts, the more time, money or other means parties invest in good faith that they shall be compensated once the contract is concluded. In case the closing of the contract is not going to occur, because of a party's unfair dealings, the party in harm shall be entitled to engage liability of the other contractor. In these circumstances, the party in harm shall base its claim on a pre-contractual liability, also referred to as culpa in contrahendo. Apart from determining the pre-contractual obligations and liability for their breach in general fashion, the subject matter of this thesis is mainly an effective comparison of Czech and French relevant legal regulation. Since the legislation does not currently regulate the issue of pre-contractual liability, this thesis is focused primarily on the case law issued by courts from both states. In particular, the thesis analyzes the case law of the Czech Supreme...