[13063] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
fwd: DATABASE BILL APPROVED BY COMMITTEE; ACTION NEEDED
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Jim Warren)
Mon Aug 9 20:02:24 1999
Date: Mon, 09 Aug 1999 12:04:42 -0600
From: Jim Warren <jwarren@well.com>
In-Reply-To: <s7aac7ae.082@alawash.org>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Errors-To: jwarren@well.com
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
Message-Id: <v04020a48b3d0c410ecfa@[206.173.238.66]>
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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Alarm! Data pirates about to raid the public-information cyber-ships!
My apologies for the length of this post, but it's VERY important re
free/at-cost access to federal records -- and can set a dangerous precedent
for states to follow.
Please note the implications of the 'graph I've flagged by "!!!!!!!!". It
appears to mean that any database of *public*/govt records created by a
private contractor under contract to computerize an agency's public records
could be EXCLUDED FROM FREE/AT-COST PUBLIC ACCESS!
--jim, Jim Warren, jwarren@well.com, GovAccess list-owner/[im]moderator/janitor
345 Swett Rd, Woodside CA 94062; 650-851-7075; fax-for-the-quaint/650-851-2814
-
To add or drop GovAccess, email to Majordomo@well.com ('Subject' ignored)
with message: [un]subscribe GovAccess YourEmailAddress (insert your eaddr)
For brief description of GovAccess, send MajorDomo the msg: info GovAccess
===fwd===
>ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
>Volume 8, Number 81
>August 6, 1999
>
>In this issue:
>
>House Commerce Committee Approves Database Bill, H.R. 1858;
>Action Needed by Library Constituents During August Recess
>
>On August 5 the House Commerce Committee approved a slightly
>revised version of H.R. 1858, the Consumer and Investor Access to
>Information Act of 1999 by voice vote.
>
>This database protection bill retains the public domain status of
>primary legal materials such as court opinions and statutes as
>added recently by the Telecommunications, Trade and Consumer
>Protection Subcommittee. Further, at the initiation of Rep. Rick
>Boucher (D-VA), the substitute for the bill offered by Chairman
>Thomas Bliley, Jr. (R-VA) and ranking minority member John Dingell
>(D-MI) broadened the definition of government databases excluded
>from this new protection.
>
=====!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!=====
>The new language would exclude from protection a database that
>"has been collected or maintained by a commercial entity pursuant
>to a contract with the United States of America or any agency or
>instrumentality thereof, unless the information contained in such
>database was permanently available on an interactive computer
>network without restriction in a publicly accessible electronic
>form without charge, at the time an extraction occurred."
=====!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!=====
>
>Chairman Bliley indicated that the Commerce Committee staff would
>be meeting with the Judiciary Committee staff during the recess to
>work out differences between their database protection bills. The
>Judiciary Committee approved H.R. 354, the Collections of
>Information Antipiracy Act, on May 25.
>
>The main concern of library, education, research, and other
>interest groups have with H.R. 354 is the bill's basic approach.
>It assumes many uses of databases should be unlawful and then
>lists a series of exceptions. Many of these exceptions are
>helpful but incomplete and problematic, and would leave users in
>great uncertainty about what uses would incur the criminal
>penalties under the bill.
>
>ALA supports H.R. 1858 because provisions in the bill protect
>value-added, downstream uses of information while addressing the
>concerns of some database producers that in the digital
>environment there could be increased piracy of their products.
>ALA, along with 68 other library, education and research
>organizations and institutions, coalitions, and corporations,
>signed onto a letter sent this week in support of H.R. 1858.
>
>H.R. 1858 is a narrowly tailored bill that strikes a balance
>between the interests of selected database producers while
>ensuring that legitimate and appropriate access to factual
>information continues. Provisions in H.R. 1858 would: (1)
>preserve the fair use of information and keep factual information
>in the public domain; (2) prevent unfair competition in the form
>of parasitic copying; (3) promote the progress of science,
>education, and research; (4) protect value-added publishers and
>their products; and (5) provide safeguards against monopolistic
>pricing.
>
>The August 5 issue of Roll Call, a Capitol Hill daily newspaper,
>contained a full page ad calling H.R. 1858 a "license to steal."
>The ad was sponsored by the American Business Press, the American
>Medical Association, The McGraw-Hill Companies, the National
>Association of Realtors, the Newspaper Association of America,
>Phillips International Inc., Reed Elsevier Inc., SilverPlatter
>Information, Inc., Skinder-Strauss Associates, the Software and
>Information Industry Association, Thomas Publishing, The Thomson
>Corporation, and Warren Publishing, Inc.
>
>Action Needed:
>
>The opponents of H.R. 1858 and proponents of H.R. 354 (such as
>those listed above) are expected to be very active with members of
>the Commerce Committee over the congressional recess from August 9
>to September 7. It is important that these members also hear from
>constituents who prefer H.R. 1858 and do not want to see it
>weakened in any database protection bill that is sent to the House
>floor. Library constituents of House Commerce Committee members
>should thank the Members who cosponsored H.R. 1858 as well as
>thanking them for their helpful action in moving H.R. 1858 forward
>and urge them to retain its positive features in discussions with
>the Judiciary Committee.
>
>HOUSE COMMERCE COMMITTEE
>
>ST DIST PTY MEMBER PHONE FAX
> (Use 202 area
>code)
>AZ-4 R John Shadegg 225-3361 225-3462
>CA-14 D Anna G. Eshoo 225-8104 225-8890
>CA-22 D Lois
>Capps 225-3601 225-5632
>CA-27 R James E. Rogan 225-4176 225-5828
>CA-29 D Henry A. Waxman 225-3976 225-4099
>CA-47 R Christopher Cox 225-5611 225-9177
>CA-49 R Brian P.
>Bilbray 225-2040 225-2948
>CO-1 D Diana DeGette 225-4431 225-5657
>FL-6 R Clifford Stearns** 225-5744 225-3973
>FL-9 R Michael
>Bilirakis 225-5755 225-4085
>FL-20 D Peter Deutsch 225-7931 225-8456
>GA-9 R Nathan Deal** 225-5211 225-8272
>GA-10 R Charles Norwood 225-4101 225-0279
>IL-1 D Bobby L. Rush 225-4372 226-0333
>IL-20 R John M. Shimkus 225-5271 225-5880
>IA-4 R Greg
>Ganske 225-4426 225-3193
>KY-1 R Edward
>Whitfield 225-3115 225-3547
>LA-3 R W. J. Tauzin** 225-4031 225-0563
>MD-2 R Robert L.
>Ehrlich 225-3061 225-3094
>MD-4 D Albert R. Wynn 225-8699 225-8714
>MA-7 D Edward J. Markey** 225-2836 226-0340
>MI-1 D Bart
>Stupak 225-4735 225-4744
>MI-6 R Frederick S. Upton 225-3761 225-4986
>MI-16 D John Dingell-Rnkg** 225-4071
>MN-6 D William P.
>Luther 225-2271 225-3368
>MS-3 R Charles
>Pickering 225-5031 225-5797
>MO-5 D Karen McCarthy 225-4535 225-4403
>MO-7 R Roy
>Blunt** 225-6536 225-5604
>NJ-6 D Frank Pallone 225-4671 225-9665
>NM-1 R Heather Wilson 225-6316 225-4975
>NY-2 R Rick A. Lazio 225-3335 225-4669
>NY-10 D Edolphus
>Towns** 225-5936 225-1018
>NY-13 R Vito J.
>Fossella 225-3371 226-1272
>NY-17 D Eliot L. Engel 225-2464 225-5513
>NC-5 R Richard M. Burr 225-2071 225-2995
>OH-4 R Michael G. Oxley** 225-2676
>OH-5 R Paul E. Gillmor 225-6405 225-1985
>OH-6 D Ted Strickland 225-5705 225-5907
>OH-13 D Sherrod Brown 225-3401 225-2266
>OH-14 D Thomas C.
>Sawyer 225-5231 225-5278
>OK-1 R Steve Largent 225-2211 225-9187
>OK-2 R Tom A. Coburn 225-2701 Phillips
>International Inc., Reed El 225-3038
>PA-4 D Ron
>Klink 225-2565 226-2274
>PA-8 R James C. Greenwood 225-4276 225-9511
>TN-6 D Bart
>Gordon 225-4231 225-6887
>TN-7 R Edward G.
>Bryant 225-2811 225-2989
>TX-4 D Ralph M. Hall 225-6673 225-3332
>TX-6 R Joe Barton** 225-2002 225-3052
>TX-29 D Gene
>Green 225-1688 225-9903
>VA-9 D Rick Boucher** 225-3861 225-0442
>VA-7 R Tom Bliley, Chair** 225-2815 225-0011
>WI-5 D Thomas
>Barrett** 225-3571 225-2185
>WY-1 R Barbara Cubin 225-2311 225-3057
>
>**Commerce Committee Members who cosponsored H.R. 1858
>
>Other cosponsors (not on House Commerce Committee) include:
>
>IN-2 R David McIntosh 225-3021 225-3382
>MS-2 D Bennie Thompson 225-5876 225-5898
>MO-1 D William Clay 225-2406 225-1725
>NC-2 D Bob Etheridge 225-4531 225-5662
>OH-12 R John Kasich 225-5355
>OH-18 R Robert
>Ney 225-6265 225-3394
>
>******
>ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the
>American Library Association Washington Office. All materials
>subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be
>reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with
>appropriate credits.
>
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