Court grants summary judgment to standard development organizations
WASHINGTON — The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia issued a ruling that will support federal, state, and local governments’ efforts to support public health and safety through the use of voluntary consensus codes and standards.
On Feb. 2, the court granted a motion for summary judgment filed by a number of standard development organizations (SDOs), including the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), ASTM Intl., and ASHRAE. The court’s ruling permanently enjoins Public.Resource.org from its previous systematic infringement of numerous SDO copyrighted codes and standards. The ruling vindicates the longstanding public-private partnership pursuant to which government entities may, if they choose, incorporate, by reference, high-quality safety codes and standards.