Last week, a three-judge panel for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously reversed a lower court decision that prohibited public-records activist Carl Malamud’s organization, Public.Resource.Org (PRO), from publishing copyrighted technical standards that are part of laws such as building codes, including many used in the fenestration and construction industries. The […]

Public-domain activist Carl Malamud suffered another legal setback last week when a federal judge ruled that the state of Georgia can copyright annotations to its state code, which includes many sections related to construction and the fenestration industry. It also said Public.Resource.org, Malamud’s organization, can’t post those annotations on its website without permission. The Georgia […]

Last week, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that public-records activist Carl Malamud’s organization, Public.Resource.Org, violated copyright law by publicly sharing technical standards that are used in laws such as building codes. It also said organizations that develop standards, including those used in the fenestration industry, have the right to charge […]

As 2016 rolls over into 2017, I’m looking back on another year of learning and growing as the editor of DWM. Yes, I’m still somewhat of a “fenestration newbie,” but not as much as when I joined DWM almost exactly two years ago. Heck, in late 2014, I didn’t even know what “fenestration” meant — and I’ve […]

On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia heard arguments in the copyright-infringement lawsuit against public-records activist Carl Malamud, who is being sued by ASTM International, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). All three develop standards used in the fenestration industry. The […]

The long-running debate over who “owns” the standards used in legally binding construction codes gets another big platform next month. In August, the American Bar Association (ABA) will vote on a resolution urging Congress to pass legislation that provides limited free online access to standards incorporated into state and local construction codes, including those related to fenestration. But public-records activist Carl Malamud argues in a recent report he […]

A California-based public records activist continues to fight for the right to publish building standards and legal codes for free access of the public. Carl Malamud’s organization, Public.Resource.org, is involved in multiple ongoing lawsuits—one filed by the state of Georgia and another by multiple standards bodies. Malamud is currently the defendant in a copyright infringement […]

The state of Georgia has filed a lawsuit against public-domain activist Carl Malamud for publishing the state’s entire legal code online. It’s the latest legal battle for a man who is currently being sued by organizations that develop construction standards — including those for glazing, doors and windows — that then become part of state building codes. The Georgia […]