Linking to Works Protected by Copyright – Influence of the Case Law of the Court of Justice on Judicial Practice of Polish Courts
The preliminary rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) provide clarification on EU law. But, at the same time, they influence the interpretation of national laws and the case-law of the courts of Member States. Copyright has been harmonised at the EU level to a limited extent. Therefore, the CJEU’s decisions are of great importance for the national courts adjudicating in cases related to the proper functioning of the internal market. The purpose of this article is to analyse the CJEU’s case-law on the authors’ right to communicate their works to the public under Article 3(1) of 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. The article also addresses the binding character of the CJEU’s judgments and influence on the Polish courts’ rulings concerning linking to works protected by copyright