The Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT) has joined 20 other organizations in a letter to the House Rules Committee, opposing an effort to add a bill to the National Defense Authorization Act. The bill in question would extend copyright coverage to standards even after they are incorporated by reference into a regulation and thus become enforceable law.

Additionally, the proposed legislation would permit standards development organizations to require users to create an account and provide personal information as a condition for accessing the standard. The signatories of the letter express concern that the bill does not offer sufficient protection against potential misuse of that personal information.

The coalition of organizations calls for hearings and a more deliberative process to assess the adverse consequences of extending copyright coverage in this manner. They also seek to explore more appropriate ways to address the concerns of standards development organizations about incorporating standards into law by reference.

"Read the full letter here."