----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Sylvia, Maybe the following will help: After deliberations with the European Parliament the Economic and Social Committee of the European Committee has published on 15 November 1993 a "Proposal for a database guideline" (Official journal EC C 308). The guideline concerns only databases in electronic form. It concerns as well copyright as also extraction-rights and its validity depends on the nature of the database (full-text, actual databases without structure, actual databases with non-relevant structure without copyright, actual databases with non-relevant structure with copyright etc.). Copyright is given for 50 years after death of author or first publication, extraction rights are given for 15 years. The rights cover very diverse databases, e.g. thesauri of libraries can also come under this guideline. However this is only an 'official' proposal and not yet an official guideline or decree. Probably the text in the Official journal can provide you with better information. Jan Smits Mapcurator Royal Library, the National Library of The Netherlands [log in to unmask]