Keeps copyright on private standards used in laws if they are free to read online

§1What it does

Why this matters: A plain-English description of the bill as it was voted on, written by us from the official summary and text.

✎ Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

This bill deals with technical standards written by private organizations, such as electrical standards for buildings, that governments make part of their laws or regulations by reference.^2,3 Courts have disagreed on whether such a standard keeps its copyright once it is incorporated into law, and some have ruled that it enters the public domain.^2,3 Under the bill, a standard would keep its copyright if the organization that wrote it makes it available free on a public website in a format that makes specific content easy to find, and anyone claiming it lost protection because it was not freely available would have to prove that.^2,3 The House voted on the version approved by the Judiciary Committee, which also called for reports by the Copyright Office and studies by the Government Accountability Office, including on effects on consumers and historically disadvantaged communities.^2,3,4

§2Status

§3How Congress voted

Why this matters: The official count.