In a letter, the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and other library and civil society organizations asked the US House of Representatives Rules Committee to reject amendment 1082 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would extend copyright protection to standards that are incorporated by reference into law. Like the Pro Codes Act (H.R. 1631) on which it is based, signatories are concerned that this amendment would limit access to publicly beneficial standards, and erode the public domain. Attaching this non-germane amendment to the NDAA would subvert regular order and deny this proposal a public, transparent, deliberative process.
About the Association of Research Libraries
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit organization of research libraries in Canada and the US whose vision is to create a trusted, equitable, and inclusive research and learning ecosystem and prepare library leaders to advance this work in strategic partnership with member libraries and other organizations worldwide. ARL’s mission is to empower and advocate for research libraries and archives to shape, influence, and implement institutional, national, and international policy. ARL develops the next generation of leaders and enables strategic cooperation among partner institutions to benefit scholarship and society. ARL is on the web at ARL.org.
