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House Passes Database Collection LegislationBy a voice vote, the House of Representatives adopted the Collection of Information Antipiracy Act (H.R. 2652) May 19, extending sweeping new legal protections to compilers of database information. The bill's sponsor, Rep Howard Coble (R-N.C.), said it "prohibits the misappropriation of valuable commercial collections by unscrupulous competitors who grab data collected by others, repackage it, and market a product that threatens competitive injury.'' Although the legislation exempts nonprofit organizations from criminal liability for their efforts to collect information, ALA's Washington Office says that it would restrict access to and excerpting of publishers' factual compilations even if they did not qualify for copyright protection. In addition, the Washington Office warns that the bill's definition of a protected database is so broad that almost any collection of information, even that taken from the public domain, would be protected, and no fair-use exceptions are made. The measure now goes to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Posted May 25, 1998. |
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