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No one can truly own a piece of data, the only thing that can be possessed is an aggregation or collection of such

data,
provided there has been a relevant investment in carrying out that aggregation or collection. In this article we will consider the
types of intellectual property rights that can be utilised to protect collections of data and the individuals' rights in personal data
that are beginning to present a challenge for commercial exploiters of data.

The same data can be exploited by different parties in totally different ways and, done properly this can be achieved without
diminishing the value of data for any of its beneficiaries. We now live in a world in which more data is being generated and
captured than ever before and with the growth of the Internet of Things - computing devices embedded in everyday objects,
enabling them to send and receive data - the scale of this data explosion grows exponentially year on year.

The term database is used to describe a compilation of works, data or other materials (i.e. collection of facts)
arranged in a systematic or methodical way. In other words, ordered by logical principles set up by the
compiler. In principle, the facts themselves can not be protected but the order and organisation can, if they
show a certain level of creativity on the part of the author. When referring to databases it is necessary to
distinguish between creative and non-creative databases because each is dealt with under a different set of
legal rules.

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