Database Protection Legislation Introduced in Congress

On October 8, 2003, the ongoing debate over the need for database protection returned to the floors of Congress with the introduction House Bill 3261, the Database and Collections of Information Misappropriation Act. The Act would impose substantial civil penalties to anyone who makes available “in commerce” a “quantitatively substantial” part of an existing database or information collection. While the legislation remains controversial, with both critics and proponents arguing about various elements, the U.S. Copyright Office is on record favoring database protection legislation in principal, and this bill is described as “major step” toward the “balanced legislation the (Copyright) Office has long recommended.” Work is expected to continue on the bill well into next year. If the bill passes in the House, it must still be approved in the Senate