Recital 18

Data subject to intellectual property rights as well as trade secrets should be transmitted to a third party only where such transmission is lawful by virtue of Union or national law or with the agreement of the rights holder. Where public sector bodies are holders of the right of the maker of a database provided for in Article 7(1) of Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council((Directive 96/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 1996 on the legal protection of databases (OJ L 77, 27.3.1996, p. 20).)) they should not exercise that right in order to prevent the re-use of data or to restrict re-use beyond the limits set by this Regulation.