FTC chimes in on Database bill

Regarding intellectual property protection and innovation...

  Yesterday the Federal Trade Commission issued a 17-page letter discussing serious flaws with the "Collections of Information Anti-Piracy Act" (a.k.a. the database bill, Title V of H.R. 2281). The database bill was passed in the House version of the WIPO bill, but not addressed by the Senate version of WIPO. There is a conference committee underway to address the differences between the two bills. Despite the controversy over the database legislation and the additional fuel of the FTC report, the database bill may remain as part of the conference report to be sent to each house for approval. [I and others pray that is not so.]

  The FTC comments, which focus on the competition concerns and the potential negative impact of overprotection upon innovation, can be found at:

   http://www.ftc.gov/os/1998/9809/antipirabli.htm

  Earlier comments by the Department of Justice on Constitutionality concerns can be found at:

   http://www.acm.org/usacm/copyright/doj-hr2652-memo.html

  A 3-page letter from the Department of Commerce outlining policy concerns can be found at:

   http://www.acm.org/usacm/copyright/doj-s2291.html   

Laurel

   Laurel Jamtgaard
   Policy Analyst to:

     American Library Association
     Association of Research Libraries 
     Special Libraries Association
       202.296.2296  FAX:202.872.0884   laurelj[_at_]arl.org