The Digital Future Coalition is currently working on the following issues:

• Database Law.

1. During the 105th Congress, the DFC worked to sponsor correct versions of the Collections of Information Antipiracy Act, a law designed to prevent thievery of intellectual property. This law became associated with databases, as the DFC fought to include the proper language to allow companies to protect the contents of their database. Browse all of our Archives information on the Collections of Information Antipiracy Act.
   
   
2. During the last Congress, two competing bills were sponsored in the House of Representatives to assist companies in protecting the contents of their databases. Of the two, we believed that H.R. 1858 was the fairer, and that it allowed companies the maximum protection with the minimum interference in the competitive marketplace.

We have sponsored an organization, Database Data, to help us spread the word about potential new database legislation and to encourage members of Congress to maintain the basic American tradition of public access to information. For the full story on these laws, visit the Database Data Web site, www.databasedata.org.

• UCITA and UCC2B. For several years, lawmakers have considered changing Section 2B of the Unifrom Copyright Code (UCC2B) to better apply to the sale and distribution of computer software. Their efforts culminated in the Uniform Computer Information Transaction Act (UCITA), a uniform state law which has already been passed in Maryland and Virginia and is being considered in several other states.

  Here at the DFC, we have been following this issue from its inception. First, we attempted to shape the debate over the changes to be made to UCC2B. The debate subsequently turned to the states' passage of UCITA, and DFC is active in a new coalition, Americans for Fair Electronic Commerce Transactions (AFFECT), to ensure that fair competition is preserved and that software companies are not given an unfair advantage.

  • Read the DFC's first letter regarding UCC2B changes.
  • Visit the AFFECT Web site and see what is currently being done.

   

• The Digital Millenium Copyright Act. Introduced in the 105th Congress to deal with a variety of copyright issues stemming from the 1995 World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) conference, the DMCA has since passed both the House and the Senate and become law. But the DMCA debate is not over! Several sections of the DMCA mandate reviews and continued testimony over the Act's performance, which we are heavily involved in. Visit our DMCA page and find out what we've been working on lately.

If you're still curious about the DFC, you can Click Here to see which issues we have taken on in the past!