PRINTER'S NO. 1038
No. 924 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY RUBLEY, FARGO, NICKOL, MAITLAND, GEIST, BIRMELIN,
NAILOR, ARGALL, JOSEPHS, HERSHEY, WAUGH, HENNESSEY,
E. Z. TAYLOR, BUNT, McCALL, STERN, SEYFERT, OLASZ, STEELMAN,
BARD, ROSS AND HERMAN, MARCH 18, 1997
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES AND ENERGY,
MARCH 18, 1997
AN ACT
1 Permitting distribution of the Department of Conservation and
2 Natural Resources' topographic and geologic survey without
3 registration of a copyright; and permitting copying and
4 distribution of previously copyrighted publications of the
5 survey.
6 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
7 hereby enacts as follows:
8 Section 1. Declaration of policy.
9 The General Assembly finds and declares as follows:
10 (1) The topographic and geologic survey compiled by the
11 Department of Conservation and Natural Resources provides
12 important information about the character of this
13 Commonwealth's resources.
14 (2) The results of the topographic and geologic survey
15 should be readily accessible to the agricultural, forestry,
16 mining, metallurgical and other interests of this
17 Commonwealth and to the public.
18 (3) The current statutory requirement that all
1 publications of the topographic and geologic survey be
2 protected by copyright severely restricts their
3 accessibility.
4 (4) In enacting this act, it is the intent of the
5 General Assembly that publications of the topographic and
6 geologic survey no longer be subject to a statutory copyright
7 requirement and that such publications that have previously
8 been copyrighted may be copied and distributed without
9 permission of the Commonwealth.
10 Section 2. No copyright registration required.
11 The topographic and geologic survey and any part thereof
12 compiled by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
13 may be copied and distributed without registration of a
14 copyright.
15 Section 3. Previously copyrighted materials may be distributed.
16 Any publication of the topographic and geologic survey or
17 part thereof for which a copyright was registered or was in the
18 process of being registered prior to the enactment of this act
19 may be copied and distributed without permission or a license
20 from the Commonwealth.
21 Section 4. Repeals.
22 All acts and parts of acts are repealed insofar as they are
23 inconsistent with this act.
24 Section 5. Effective date.
25 This act shall take effect immediately.
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