Justices Deny Bid to Enforce Copyright on Codes in Foreign Law

A Canadian safety standards company failed to convince the US Supreme Court to consider reviving copyright protections for its codes that have been incorporated into Canadian law.

Canadian Standards Association initially won a ruling that P.S. Knight Co. infringed its copyrights to works, some of which are incorporated into Canadian law. But the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed, finding nothing in its precedent denies protection to private works that have become law bars its application to foreign law. CSA argued Canadian law recognizes its rights, and that international convention binds US to respect foreign copyrights.

The ...