The Protecting and Enhancing Public Access to Codes (Pro Codes Act) would enable private standards setting organizations (SDOs) to assert copyright of the codes and regulations they develop that are incorporated by reference into law. The bill would allow the SDOs to assert copyright as long as the standards are available online. However, SDOs often require personal information to access the standards and place limits on printing, copying, and linking. Despite the name of the bill, the Pro Codes Act would limit access to publicly beneficial standards. SPARC joined nineteen other organizations and civil society groups in a letter to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee opposing the bill. The bill is not scheduled for a hearing in the Senate but the companion bill in the House was considered during a markup over the summer.
Read the letter: Pro Codes Act Letter
