The House telecommunications subcommittee late last week cleared the way for a bill preventing the unauthorized copying and distribution of proprietary electronic databases to be considered by the Commerce Committee.
While the measure prevents the distribution of pirated databases, it does provide that information relating to Internet communications and subscriber lists can be copied and used with the database owner’s approval, ensuring the direct marketing industry access to that information for mailing lists and other marketing purposes.
The main thrust of the bill, sponsored by Commerce Committee Chairman Tom Bliley (R-VA) is to protect securities industry databases and the public’s access to the information they contain.
The bill would not restrict access to or protect public government databases or privately developed databases that include public government information.
The measure, pre-empting inconsistent or non-conforming state laws, would empower the Federal Trade Commission, directed to chart the measure’s effectiveness over three years, to file civil lawsuits against violators who would be subject to civil and possible criminal penalties.
The committee is not expected to act on the Consumer and Investor Access to Information Act (HR-1858), until sometime in the fall.
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