WASHINGTON (Feb. 25, 2016) — The U.S. Copyright Office, in response to a request from the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, is undertaking a study on the interplay between copyright law and consumer products that contain software, including motor vehicles.
Software is often protected by copyright law, but according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), exceptions in the law allow for use and access to copyright-protected elements for certain purposes. Congress is now considering changes to the law to more adequately address the issue.
In its comments to the Copyright Office, Diamond Bar, Calif.-based SEMA said it “made its position clear that any changes to the law should ensure aftermarket companies continue to have access and the ability to reverse engineer the software of modern vehicles to achieve different functionality and interoperability with aftermarket components.”
For more information, contact SEMA's Ashley Ailsworth via email at [email protected].