Current status of copyright protection of data

In 1991, the Supreme Court ruled in Feist vs. Rural Telephone Service that copyright does not extend to data. That is, the "sweat of ones brow" in assembling a database does not confer copyright protection to the data itself -- copyright only covers how the data is tangibly fixed and expressed. (I think I mostly explained that right.)

I vaguely recall that after Feist, Congress considered legislation to extend copyright protection to compilations of data. What is the current status of this? Was such a law enacted?

In addition, regarding this, what is the situation in England, Canada, Australia, and other countries in the world?

Thanks in advance.

Jon Noring Received on Mon Aug 25 2003 - 19:15:02 GMT