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House Subcommittee Approves
Database Protection Bill

The House Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protections Subcommittee approved the Consumer and Investor Access to Information Act (H.R. 1858) by voice vote July 29. The measure, giving additional copyright protection to databases, is an alternative to the more restrictive Collection of Information Antipiracy Act (H.R. 354), which was approved by the full Judiciary Committee May 25.

"This bill would, for the first time ever, create a federal stop sign to database privacy," said the legislation's sponsor, Rep. Tom Bliley (R-Va.). "But just as important, the bill will continue to protect consumers' access to information." However, others criticized the measure as too limited: Rep. Al Wynn (D-Md.) said the bill "may not offer sufficient protection that would deter the plundering of databases."

The online Tech Law Journal noted that the subcommittee approved an amendment to the bill adding legal materials to long list of exclusions from the measure, and requires databases to be large to qualify for protection.

Posted August 2, 1999.

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