As you know, the National Academy of Engineering and our sibling organizations, the National Academy of Sciences and Institute of Medicine, operate under a congressional charter that calls on us to provide advice to the government on issues of science and technology. This proposed legislation concerns a topic about which the Academies, and indeed the entire research and education community, have an abiding interest and deep concerns. It is this melding of perspectives from the private sector, government, and academia that I believe is so important to balancing the interests of both content providers and end users in the pending legislation. In particular, I have been fortunate to participate in at least three parts of the wonderful innovation system of this country, and it is from that perspective that I'd like to frame these remarks. They are not the only component of that system, but absent basic research, we would not have enjoyed the dramatic improvements in the quality of life over the last century.
Data are the building blocks of knowledge and the lifeblood of research.
The broadest possible access to them is of paramount importance to the continued success of the research and educational communities, and thus to our nation's technological prowess. The worldwide trend to impose strong economic and legal restrictions on the conditions of availability and use of data endangers the research enterprise, and hence the innovation system. It is imperative to consider carefully the underlying rationale and potential impacts of any changes to intellectual property law concerning database protection, to our research and education base, our innovation system, and hence to our whole economy. My concern with the proposed legislation is that its impact may be for wider than the immediate effect on the research community. I am not making not special plea for the interests of that community.