Werkhöhe

English translation: level of creativity

14:44 Sep 2, 2008

German to English translations [PRO]
Law/Patents - Law: Patents, Trademarks, Copyright

German term or phrase: Werkhöhe

This comes from a contract of employment and is part of a confidentiality clause:

"Als Geschäfts- und Betriebsgeheimnisse sind ohne Rücksicht auf Patentierfähigkeit, ***Werkhöhe*** oder sonstige rechtliche Schutzfähigkeit alle im Zuge der dienstlichen Tätigkeit des Geschäftsführers für die Gesellschaft gewonnenen Arbeitsgeheimnisse, Beobachtungen, Erfahrungen und sonstigen Kenntnisse zu verstehen, deren Geheimhaltung nach dem pflichtgemäßen Ermessen eines gewissenhaften Geschäftsführers als geheimhaltungsbedürftig anzusehen sind und/oder deren Geheimhaltung aus anderen Gründen im Interesse der Gesellschaft geboten erscheint."

Can anyone help? The best I've come up with so far is something like "degree of individuality" but I'm not entirely satisfied with this and would like to know if there's a specific equivalent term in English. Many thanks in advance!

Alexandra Duckitt KudoZ activity Questions: 121 (1 open) (1 without valid answers) (7 closed without grading) Answers: 23 United Kingdom
Local time: 09:38

English translation:level of creativity

Explanation:
This is the term I have seen used with reference to German Copyright Law. See, e.g.

165. See, eg. Silberdistel ("Silver Thistle"), German Federal Supreme Court, June 22, 1995 (Case No. I ZR 1 19/93). 2& IlC 140 ( 1997) (lower court's findings insufficient to support level of creativity necessary for copyright protection for work of applied art). See generally Gerhard Schricker, Farewell to the "Level of Creativity” (Schöpfungshöhe) in German Copyright Law, 26 UC, 41, 42(1995). (see p. 181)
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=zDyKc6JEn1wC&pg=PA164&lpg...

Another reference:

In contrast, Germany requires a higher level of creativity than other countries, so many works will be unprotected there which would have been copyright elsewhere.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=EycbxBh_GdIC&pg=PA30&lpg=...

Selected response from:

Alison MacG
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:38

Grading comment

Thank you! This is what I went for in the end, but thanks also to Kim for his valuable input.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

4 +1

threshold of originality

Kim Metzger

level of creativity

Alison MacG

3 -1

Value of work

TDfreelance

Summary of reference entries provided

Kim Metzger

Answers

6 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): -1

Value of work

Explanation:
I'd go that route since it is that darn secrecy clause

TDfreelance
Local time: 04:38
Native speaker of:

German
PRO pts in category: 4

10 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

threshold of originality

Explanation:
Als Schöpfungshöhe (auch: Gestaltungshöhe, Werkhöhe) wird im deutschen Urheberrecht das Maß an Individualität (persönlicher geistiger Schöpfung) in einem Produkt geistiger Arbeit bezeichnet. Es entscheidet darüber, ob ein „Werk“ vorliegt und insofern Urheberrechte bestehen können. In der Praxis wird der Begriff vor allem als Ja/Nein-Option verwendet: Schöpfungshöhe muss gegeben sein, um einem solchen Produkt Werkcharakter und damit Urheberrechtsschutz zusprechen zu können, mangelnde Schöpfungshöhe begründet dagegen Gemeinfreiheit. Die Schöpfungshöhe stellt als notwendige Bedingung sozusagen die Untergrenze des Urheberrechtsschutzes dar.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schöpfungshöhe

Threshold of originality is a limit in copyright law which separates copyrightable works from non-copyrightable works based on the principle that only original works could qualify as intellectual property. In United States copyright law, this principle was invoked in the ruling of the United States Supreme Court in the court case Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Service in 1991. The court opinion stated that copyrights only be granted to "works of authorship" meeting this minimum threshold of originality, as such, mere labor, if not original, was not copyrightable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Threshold_of_originality

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Local time: 02:38
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 180

1 hr confidence:

level of creativity

Alison MacG
United Kingdom
Local time: 09:38
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 103

Grading comment

Thank you! This is what I went for in the end, but thanks also to Kim for his valuable input.

Reference comments

6 mins

Reference

Reference information:
Werkhöhe
Grundvoraussetzung für Urheberrechtsschutz ist, dass das Werk eine gewisse „Werkhöhe“ (auch „Gestaltungshöhe“ oder „Schaffenshöhe“), besitzt. Es muss sich um eine persönliche geistige Leistung eines Menschen handeln, die einen gewissen Grad an Individualität/Originalität aufweist (► eigentümliche geistige Schöpfung, § 1 Abs. 1 UrhG). Den Grad der Individualität/Originalität, den die Rechtsprechung verlangt, ist für die verschiedenen Werkarten unterschiedlich (zum Ganzen, Dittrich, S. 38 ff.).
http://www.fnm-austria.at/erf/glossary/de/Werkhöhe

Reference: http://www.fnm-austria.at/erf/glossary/de/Werkh%C3%B6he

Kim Metzger
Mexico
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 180

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