• 23 Feb 2022
• Atlanta, GA

ASHRAE Applauds Legislation that Protects Copyrights

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE         
MEDIA CONTACT:
Karen Buckley Washington
Senior Public Relations Specialist
kbwashington@ashrae.org

ATLANTA (February 23, 2022) – ASHRAE, along with other standards development organizations (SDOs), affirmed legislation for copyright protection of codes and standards adopted or incorporated by reference as long as they are available on a publicly accessible website for viewing.

U.S. Representatives Ted Deutch (FL-22) and Darrell Edward Issa (CA-50) introduced H.R.6769, a bipartisan bill to preserve copyright protection of codes and standards when they are incorporated by reference into federal regulations.

“This legislation simply confirms the legal copyright of standards created by ASHRAE and other SDOs,” said 2021-22 ASHRAE President Mick Schwedler, P.E., LEED AP.  “We are delighted that Reps. Deutch and Issa have introduced legislation confirming this fact. This allows SDOs and our volunteer members to continue the important work of developing standards that can be incorporated by reference into regulations and building codes, which in turn provide important safety, sustainability and resiliency benefits.”

The proposed statue would allow full access to standards incorporated by reference in laws or regulations through free viewing on a publicly accessible website, while still preserving the long-standing public-private partnership standards development infrastructure, at no cost to taxpayers.

Learn more about H.R.6769 here.

About ASHRAE

Founded in 1894, ASHRAE is a global professional society committed to serve humanity by advancing the arts and sciences of heating ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration and their allied fields.

As an industry leader in research, standards writing, publishing, certification and continuing education, ASHRAE and its members are dedicated to promoting a healthy and sustainable built environment for all, through strategic partnerships with organizations in the HVAC&R community and across related industries.

The Society is showcasing integrated building solutions and sustainability in action through the opening of the ASHRAE Global Headquarters building in metro-Atlanta, Georgia. The state-of-the-art, high-performing net-zero-energy efficient global headquarters building is a destination venue for industry representatives, visiting from around the world, who are looking to experience cutting-edge engineering and architectural interventions.

For more information and to stay up-to-date on ASHRAE, visit ashrae.org and connect on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

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