The article analyzes the liability of the parties for failure to fulfill or improper fulfillment of obligations prescribed in digital content supply contracts. The author investigates what the possibility and legal implications would be if the general provisions on liability for breach of contractual obligations and special rules of Articles 655–711, 759–791 the Civil Code of Ukraine are applied to the contractual relations involving digital content turnover. Given the special legal nature of digital content and the intangible form in which it is manifested, and also that the copyright to digital content is distributed as the right to a work, the authors pay special attention to the analysis of the liability for failure to perform or improper performance of obligations under the Law of Ukraine “On Copyright and Related Rights”. In this study, an essential point is analyzing the efficiency of legal regulation of consumer protection in case the supplier breaches the contract for supply of digital content to the consumer. With the aim of harmonizing the Ukrainian legislation with the legislation of the European Union (EU), the article reviews the provisions of the draft Directive of the European Parliament and the Council on certain aspects relating to digital content supply contracts dated December 9, 2015, № 2015/0287, which establish the liability of the parties to the digital content supply contract.

The purpose of the article is to make a comprehensive analysis of statutory regulation of the liability for breach of the obligations arising from digital content supply contracts.

The article analyzes the specific aspects pertaining to the liability of the parties under digital content supply contracts, and substantiates the need to introduce the provisions of the mentioned draft Directive into the Ukrainian legislation for the purpose of protecting the rights of Ukrainian consumers and service providers, and also for the purpose of fulfilling Ukraine’s obligations regarding the unification of the legislation with the EU legislation in the private law domain.

List of legal documents

Legislation

1. German Civil Code dated 18.08.1896 <https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_ bgb/englisch_bgb.pdf> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in English).

2. Kodeks cywilny z dnia 23 kwietnia 1964 r. Dz. U. № 16. Рoz. 93 (in Polish).

3. Pro avtorske pravo i sumizhni prava [On Copyright and Related Rights]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 23 hrudnia 1993 r. № 3792-XII. URL: http://zakon.rada.gov. ua/laws/show/3792-12 (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

4. Pro dohovory mizhnarodnoi kupivli-prodazhu tovariv [On Contracts for the International Sale of Goods]: Konventsiia Orhanizatsii Ob’iednanykh natsii [United Nations Convention] vid 11 kvitnia 1980 r. <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/995_003> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

5. Pro zakhyst prav spozhyvachiv [On Consumer Protection Law]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 12 travnia 1991 r. № 1023-XII <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/ show/1023-12> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

6. Tsyvilnyi kodeks Ukrainskoi RSR [the Civil Code of Ukrainian RSR] vid 18 lupnia 1963 r. № 1540-VI <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1540-06> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

7. Tsyvilnyi kodeks Ukrainy [the Civil Code of Ukraine]: Zakon Ukrainy [the Law of Ukraine] vid 16 sichnia 2003 r. № 435-IV <http://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/435-15> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

8. Tsyvilnyi kodeks URSR [the Civil Code of URSR] vid 1 liutoho 1923 r. <https://yuristonline. org/laws/codes/ex/civilnyi_kodeks_usrr_1922.pdf> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

Bibliography

Authored books

9. Jezioro J and Gniewek E and Machnikowski P, Kodeks cywilny. Komentarz. s. 1021 (in Polish).

10. Kaczmarek-Templin B and Stec P and Szostek D, Ustawa o prawach konsumenta. Kodeks cywilny (wyciąg). Komentarz. s. 408 (in Polish).

11. Bondarenko S, Avtorske pravo i sumizhni prava [Copyright Law and Related Rights] (In-t intel vlasn i prava 2008) <http://intellect21.cdu.edu.ua/wp-content/ uploads/2011/12/%D0%91%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D 0%B5%D0%BD%D0%BA%D0%BE%20%D0%A1.%D0%92.%20%D0%90%D

0%B2%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%81%D1%8C%D0%BA%D0%B5%20 %D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%BE%20%D1%82%D0%B0%20 %D1%81%D1%83%D0%BC%D1%96%D0%B6%D0%BD%D1%96%20 %D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B0%20.pdf> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in Ukrainian).

12. Ivanenko L ta Yazvinska O, Zakhyst prav spozhyvachiv[Consumer Protection] (Yurinkom Inter 2014) (in Ukrainian).

Journal articles

13. Schulze R and Staudenmayer D, ‘Digital Revolution: Challenges for Contract Law in Practice’ (2015) 6 Journal of European Consumer and Market Law 215-7 (in English).

14. Roziznana I, ‘Zahalna kharakterystyka porushennia dohovirnykh zobov’iazan ta yoho naslidky v tsyvilnomu pravi’ [‘General Characteristics of Violation of Contractual Obligations and its Consequences in Civil Law’] (2014) 2 Naukovi zapysky Instytutu zakonodavstva Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy 73-9 (in Ukrainian).

15. Savanets L, ‘Prava spozhyvacha u razi prydbannia tovaru nenalezhnoi yakosti za zakonodavstvom Yevropeiskoho Soiuzu ta Ukrainy’ [‘Consumer Rights in Case of Purchase of Goods of Inadequate Quality under the Legislation of the European Union and Ukraine’] [2017] 1(9) Aktualni problemy pravoznavstva 36-42 (in Ukrainian).

16. Stakhyra H, ‘Rechovo-pravovi problemy pryrody tsyfrovoho kontentu’ [‘Proprietary of the Problem of Digital Content Nature’] (2017) 11 Pidpryiemnytstvo, hospodarstvo i pravo 55-8 (in Ukrainian).

Websites

17. Commission staff working document on the modernization of EU copyright rules <https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/proposal-regulation-laying-downrulesexercise-copyright-and-related-rights-applicable-certain> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in English).

18. Communication from the commission to the European Parliament, The Council, the European economic and social committee of the regions Promoting a fair, efficient and competitive European copyright-based economy in theDigital Single MarketCOM(2016) 592 final <https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/news/promoting-fair-efficientandcompetitive-european-copyright-based-economy-digital-single-market> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in English).

19. Mańko R, ‘Contracts for supply of digital content. A legal analysis of the Commission’s proposal for a new directive’ <http://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/ etudes/IDAN/2016/582048/EPRS_IDA(2016)582048_EN.pdf> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in English).

20. Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content 2015/0287 dated 09.12.2015. The data base of legislation of the European Union <https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/ regdoc/rep/1/2015/EN/1-2015-634-EN-F1-1.PDF> (accessed: 18.11.2018) (in English).