U.S. Open Access / Copyright Advocates: please take action to oppose the INAPPROPRIATELY NAMED H.R. 801 – The Fair Copyright in Research Works Act (Conyers bill).
In brief, this is an effort by the publishing industry to change U.S. copyright law to make it impossible for the U.S. to require open access to federally funded research. The immediate aim is to stop the U.S. National Institutes of Health from requiring public access to the research it funds. The implications of this bill are profound and far-reaching, as it basically changes copyright law and federal procurement procedures. In the rush to address the economic situation, a bill like this could easily be passed as part of an omnibus piece of legislation, without appropriate review.
REAL fair copyright advocates EVERYWHERE should take note of this attempt to change copyright law. The companies responsible for this are multinational in nature. Many are not even based in the U.S.
