Model Contract Clauses under the Data Act: Münster Colloquia on EU Law and the Digital Economy X

Prof. Dr. Sebastian Lohsse; Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Reiner Schulze; Prof. Dr. Dirk Staudenmayer

doi:10.5771/9783748969396

Summary

How will the Data Act shape the future of European contract law? “Model Contract Terms – a New Instrument in EU Digital Law” offers an in-depth analysis of the EU’s non-binding model contractual terms for data access, data use and cloud computing. Leading scholars examine mandatory and voluntary data sharing, private enforcement, unfair terms control, FRAND standards and the regulatory impact of soft law. The volume combines doctrinal clarity, critical assessment and practical guidance for contract drafting. Essential reading for academics, practitioners, companies and policymakers seeking fair, reliable data contracts in Europe’s digital economy and beyond.

Search publication

Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2026
Copyright Year: 2026
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-3915-9
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-6939-6
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Language: English
Pages: 279
Product Type: Edited Book

Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis No access Pages 1 - 6
1. Authors:
  1. I. The importance of sharing data in the digital economy No access
  2. II. The Commission Recommendation on model contractual terms for data sharing and standard contractual clauses for cloud computing No access
  3. 1. 1. a) Structure and problems of the model contractual terms regarding mandatory data sharing No access
      2. b) Model contractual terms and private enforcement No access
    2. 2. Voluntary data sharing No access
    3. 3. Model contractual terms and national law on general terms and conditions No access
    4. 4. Further research tasks No access
2. Authors:
  1. 1. 1. The use of model contract clauses as emphasis on party autonomy No access
    2. 2. The use of model contract clauses as support for SME No access
    3. 3. The use of model contract clauses as ‘soft transposition law’ No access
  2. 1. 1. Model Contract Terms Serving the Purposes of ‘Contractualisation’ No access
    2. 2. The Regulatory Tool of Model Contract Terms as Part of an Overall Intervention Architecture No access
  3. 1. 1. Further development for data sharing contracts No access
    2. 2. Present overall legal policy trend against legislation No access
    3. 1. a) Coherence with the Data Act and EU law No access
      2. b) Legal policy perspective of compensation for granting access to personal data No access
  4. IV. Conclusion No access
1. Authors:
  1. 1. 1. 1.1 Parties to the agreement No access
        1.2 Product and/or Related Service No access
      2. 2.1 Data covered by the Agreement No access
        2.2 Use of Data by the Data Holder No access
        2.3 Sharing of Data with third parties No access
        2.4 Data security measures to be applied by Data Holder No access
        2.5 Compensation for use of the Data (if applicable) No access
      3. 3.1 Obligations of the User No access
        3.2 Obligations of the Data Holder No access
      4. 4.1 Non-performance on the part of the Data Holder No access
        4.2 Non-performance on the part of the User No access
      5. 5.1 Time of application and contract period No access
        5.2 Effects of expiry or termination No access
      6. 6.1 Confidentiality No access
        6.2 Means of communication No access
        6.3 Applicable law No access
        6.4 Interpretation No access
        6.5 Dispute settlement No access
    2. 1. 1.1 Parties to the agreement No access
        1.2 Product and/or Related Service No access
      2. 2.1 Data covered by the Agreement No access
        2.2 Compliance with data protection law and other law No access
        2.3 Data quality and access arrangements No access
        2.4 Feedback loops and duty to re-negotiate No access
        2.5 Unilateral changes by the Data Holder No access
      3. 3.1 Declarations of the Parties with regard to trade secrets No access
        3.2 Protective measures to be taken by the User No access
        3.3 Protective measures taken by the Data Holder No access
        3.4 Right to refuse, suspend or stop the sharing of Identified Trade Secrets No access
        3.5 Data retention obligations of Data Holder No access
        3.6 Data Holder’s right to terminate No access
      4. 4.1 Declarations of the Parties with regard to product safety No access
        4.2 Protective measures to be taken with regard to safety and security No access
      5. 5.1 Use of the Data by the User No access
        5.2 Diligence obligations when sharing Data with a third party No access
      6. 6.1 Date of application No access
        6.2 Transfer of use No access
        6.3 Expiry and termination No access
      7. 7.1 Remedies for specific unauthorised conduct by the User No access
        7.2 Remedies for other cases of non-performance No access
      8. 8.1 Confidentiality No access
        8.2 Non-discrimination No access
        8.3 Applicable law No access
        8.4 Means of communication No access
        8.5 Interpretation No access
        8.6 Dispute settlement No access
1. Authors:
  1. I. Introduction: The Paradigm Shift in Data Access and the Enforcement Conundrum No access
  2. 1. 1. Broad Understanding of Private Enforcement No access
    2. 2. The Data Act: A Tapestry of Regulatory Duties and Private Law Ambiguities No access
  3. 1. 1. The Mandate in Article 41 DA No access
    2. 1. a) The Acquisition Relationship No access
      2. aa) Restrictions on the Data Holder No access
        bb) Restrictions on the User No access
      3. c) The Data Sharing Relationship No access
      4. aa) The Portability-Generation Relationship No access
        bb) The Portability-Sharing Relationship No access
        cc) The Actual Portability Relationship No access
    3. 1. a) Parties, Product/Related Service(s), and Data Covered by the Contract No access
      2. b) Data Use and Sharing by the Data Holder No access
      3. c) Data Access by the User Upon Request No access
      4. d) Protection of Trade Secrets No access
      5. e) Data Use by the User No access
      6. f) Data Sharing Upon the User's Request with a Data Recipient No access
      7. g) Limitations, Compensation, and Transfer of Use No access
      8. h) Duration, Remedies, and General Provisions No access
    4. 4. A Plea for Clarity Concerning the Interplay of MCTs and Statutory Law No access
  4. 1. 1. Contractualization as a Catalyst for Legal Certainty No access
    2. 2. MCTs as a Benchmark and the Dogmatic Limits of Unfairness Control No access
    3. 3. MCTs and Constructive Contract Interpretation No access
  5. V. Conclusion No access
1. Authors:
  1. 1. 1. MCTs for voluntary data sharing and Data Act policy objectives No access
    2. 2. Defining the boundaries of voluntary data sharing by exclusion No access
    3. 3. Voluntary data sharing as a residual domain of maximum party autonomy No access
    4. 4. Monetary compensation for personal data in voluntary sharing? No access
  2. 1. 1. Unfairness as a central limit to private autonomy in voluntary sharing No access
    2. 2. MCTs as a soft benchmark of fairness without a safe harbour No access
    3. 1. a) Good faith No access
      2. b) MCTs’ optional clauses No access
      3. c) Further mechanisms of flexibility No access
  3. III. Concluding remarks No access
2. Authors:
  1. I. Introduction: The MCTs’ envisaged function and their (legal) relevance No access
  2. 1. 1. Different approaches to the design of contracts for voluntary data sharing: ‘sales’, ‘licence’ or even beyond No access
    2. 2. Conditions for data sharing: fairness, contract interpretation and the MCTs No access
  3. 1. 1. The MCTs and its guiding principle for the use of data by the data recipient No access
    2. 2. Soft law principles: different and more nuanced default rules No access
  4. 1. 1. The MCTs in bilateral data sharing scenarios No access
    2. 2. The MCT’s approach and data sharing along the value chain No access
    3. 3. The MCTs and data sharing in multipolar settings No access
  5. V. Summary and perspectives No access
3. Authors:
  1. 1. 1. The Basic Answer No access
    2. 1. a) General No access
      2. b) High Practical Relevance of No. 12 MCT (Annex II) No access
  2. 1. 1. a) The Wording of Art. 13 VI DA No access
      2. b) The Wording of § 305 I BGB No access
      3. c) The Differences No access
      4. aa) General Answer No access
        bb) Reservation in No. 12 MCT – Remedies of the Applicable Law No access
    2. 1. a) Art. 13 VI DA – Attempt to Negotiate No access
      2. b) Amendment of the Contract Terms Imposed No access
      3. aa) Acceptance as Incorporation of Unilaterally Imposed Contract Terms No access
        bb) Incorporation of Contract Terms as Independent Contract or as Part of the Respective Contract No access
        aaa) No Mentioning of an Attempt to Negotiate No access
        bbb) Recital 59 – fourth sentence – a Corrective Interpretation No access
      4. aa) First Finding: No (Final) Difference in the Meaning of “verhandeln” (“negotiate”) v. “aushandeln” (“individually negotiate”) No access
        bb) The Duty of the Supplier to Put the Illegal Part of the Contract Term at the Free Disposal of the Other Party No access
      5. aa) Right to Influence v. “ausgehandelt” (“individually negotiated”) No access
        bb) Unchanged Contract Terms as Basis for an “Individually Negotiated” Term – Again: Issue of Acceptance No access
        cc) Special Problem: Insertion of a Figure – Limitation of Liabilities (Art. 13 Va DA) – MCT Annex X (Standard Contract Clauses on Liability) – No. 1.3.5 – Option “C” No access
      6. f) Interim Conclusions No access
  3. 1. 1. a) The wording No access
      2. b) Recital 61 No access
      3. aa) General Remarks No access
        bb) A Short Look into German Law – Requirement of Transparency as Part of “good commercial practice” No access
      4. aa) General No access
        bb) Limitation Clauses in Annex X as Guideline for any Damages to be Collected No access
      5. e) Benchmark of “Good Faith and Fair Dealing” No access
    2. 2. Fairness Standard of § 307 I – first sentence – BGB – as Guideline No access
  4. 1. 1. Benchmark of Art. 13 Va DA No access
    2. 1. a) Explanatory Remark No access
      2. b) Issue of “Remedy” for “Non-Performance” and “Liability” in case of Breach of Contract No access
      3. aa) General No access
        bb) Provision in the MCT (Annex II) No access
      4. aa) General No access
        bb) No. 12.2.4c MCT (Annex II) – Preliminary No access
      5. aa) General No access
        bb) No. 12.2.4c MCT (Annex II) – Preliminary No access
    3. 1. a) Aspects of German Law – Delay in Delivering Data No access
      2. b) Aspects of German Law – Late Payment No access
      3. c) No. 12.2.4a and c MCT (Annex II) – Preliminary No access
    4. 1. a) A Literal Interpretation No access
      2. aa) Necessary Distinctions – “Access” and “Use” of Data as Principal Obligations No access
        bb) Legal Nature of Ancillary Obligations – § 241 II BGB No access
      3. c) Approach in the MCT (Annex II) No access
    5. 1. a) Wording of No. 12.2.4 MCT (Annex II) No access
      2. b) Wording of No. 12.2.4c MCT (Annex II) No access
    6. 1. a) Room Left Open for this Rule – Recital 60 – Second Sentence No access
      2. b) Specifics of § 305c II BGB No access
      3. aa) Parties have Expressly Agreed on the Specific Type of Contract No access
        bb) No Express Agreement on the Specific Type of Contract in Choosing the MCT (Annex II) No access
        cc) Clauses of MCT (Annex II) as Sales Contract No access
        dd) High Hurdles for Correct Answers by Businessmen No access
        ee) Legal Consequences No access
      4. d) Possible Unfairness of the “Without-Prejudice”-Clause Imposed on the Other Party – Art. 13 III DA No access
    7. 1. a) Issue to be Debated No access
      2. aa) Breach of data related obligation No access
        bb) No Problem in a Sale, Rent or License Contract No access
      3. aa) No-Fault Concept v. Negligence-Based Liability For Damages No access
      4. aa) Damages for Delay in Delivering Data – Requirement of Notice No access
        bb) Damages for Default in Fulfilling the Payment Obligation No access
        cc) Damages for Non-Performance – Right of Rescission and Requirement of a Reasonable Grace Period No access
        dd) Final Remark: No-Fault Liability No access
        e) Interim Conclusion No access
    8. 1. a) Function of § 306 II BGB No access
      2. b) “Without prejudice”-clause in No. 12.2.1 MCT (Annex II) No access
      3. c) No. 12.2.4a and c MCT (Annex II) No access
  5. V. Final Conclusion No access
4. Authors:
  1. I. Introduction No access
  2. II. A formula of the unilaterally imposed term: a language and an idea behind it No access
  3. III. An attempt to negotiate the term and the contractual disequilibrium No access
  4. IV. Theory of standard terms and the mechanism of the Data Act No access
  5. V. The requirement of non-negotiation as a wrong criterion No access
  6. VI. Proposal of the Model Standard Terms to the Data Act and the criterion of non-negotiation No access
  7. VII. Conclusions No access
1. Authors:
  1. 1. Data sharing is a market in the making with some existing situations where the Data Act clarifies the roles, for example when you buy a car. No access
  2. 2. Data sharing is a market in the making with new opportunities that the Data Act intends to promote. No access
  3. 3. Cloud services are another chapter of the Data Act. Cloud services is an existing market where business users of digital technologies face a de facto lock-in once they have migrated their data and digital assets to a cloud service provider. No access
2. Authors:
  1. 1. 1. The MCT and SCC contributing to market compliance with the rules of the Data Act No access
    2. 2. The MCT and SCC as tools for enforcement authorities No access
  2. 1. 1. Technical standards and model voluntary terms: comparison between two soft regulatory tools No access
    2. 2. Perspectives on the use of model contract terms No access
  3. III. Concluding remarks No access