AAP on the Hill / Issues: Copyright

September 22, 2003

Congressman Martin Sabo introduces the Public Access to Science Act (H.R. 2613)

On June 26, 2003 Representative Martin Sabo (D-MN) introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, the Public Access to Science Act (H.R. 2613).  The Act would eliminate copyright protection for “any work produced pursuant to scientific research substantially funded by the Federal Government…” It would require all federal agencies that fund scientific research through grants, contracts or cooperative agreements to explicitly state that copyright protection “is not available for any work produced pursuant to such research under the agreement.”  The legislation was referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property.  No further action has been taken at this time. 
 
AAP intends to work with its members to block this legislation and any other proposed legislation that would weaken effective copyright protection under the Copyright Act.
 
For more information on how some publishers make biomedical articles readily available, please visit the AAP Professional and Scholarly Publishing Division website at www.pspcentral.org.  Click on the How to Access Medical Information link located on the right hand side on the home page.

To visit the PSPCentral website, click here.

For more information contact:

Allan Adler
Ph: 202-220-4544
Email: adler@publishers.org