SCHEDULES

SCHEDULE 1Unauthorised association: providers of information society services

Section 5

Exceptions for mere conduits

1

1

A service provider does not breach section 3(1) by providing access to a communication network or by transmitting, in a communication network, information provided by a recipient of the service, if the service provider does not—

a

initiate the transmission,

b

select the recipient of the transmission, or

c

select or modify the information contained in the transmission.

2

For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)—

a

providing access to a communication network, and

b

transmitting information in a communication network,

include the automatic, intermediate and transient storage of the information transmitted so far as the storage is solely for the purpose of carrying out the transmission in the network.

3

Sub-paragraph (2) does not apply if the information is stored for longer than is reasonably necessary for the transmission.

Exception for caching

2

1

A service provider does not breach section 3(1) by storing information provided by a recipient of the service for transmission in a communication network if the first and second conditions are met.

2

The first condition is that the storage of the information—

a

is automatic, intermediate and temporary, and

b

is solely for the purpose of making more efficient the onward transmission of the information to other recipients of the service at their request.

3

The second condition is that the service provider—

a

does not modify the information,

b

complies with any conditions attached to having access to the information, and

c

if sub-paragraph (4) applies, promptly removes the information or disables access to it.

4

This sub-paragraph applies if the service provider obtains actual knowledge that—

a

the information at the initial source of the transmission has been removed from the network,

b

access to it has been disabled, or

c

a court or administrative authority has ordered the removal from the network of, or the disablement of access to, the information.

Exception for hosting

3

1

A service provider does not breach section 3(1) by storing information provided by a recipient of the service if—

a

the service provider had no actual knowledge when the information was provided that its provision constituted a breach of section 3(1), or

b

on obtaining actual knowledge that the provision of the information constituted such a breach, the service provider promptly removed the information or disabled access to it.

2

Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply if the recipient of the service is acting under the authority or control of the service provider.

Interpretation

4

In this Schedule—

  • “information society services”—

    1. a

      has the meaning given in Article 2(a) of the E-Commerce Directive (which refers to Article 1(2) of Directive 98/34/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 June 1998 laying down a procedure for the provision of information in the field of technical standards and regulations), and

    2. b

      is summarised in recital 17 of the E-Commerce Directive as covering “any service normally provided for remuneration, at a distance, by means of electronic equipment for the processing (including digital compression) and storage of data, and at the individual request of a recipient of a service”;

  • “recipient”, in relation to a service, means a person who, for professional ends or otherwise, uses an information society service, in particular for the purposes of seeking information or making it accessible;

  • “service provider” means a person providing an information society service;

  • “the E-Commerce Directive” means 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).