Public.Resource.Org to Provide Open Access to the CFR

Carl Malamud, President & CEO Public.Resource.Org, is in negotiations with the Government Printing Office to obtain an electronic copy of the Code of Federal Regulations.

According to his request, Public.Resource.Org intends to make the CFR "available in raw format on the Internet for access by anonymous FTP. We will not charge for access, nor will we restrict usage by the imposition of any license agreements. Since public documents are defined as “public property” in 44 USC 1119, this deployment of the raw feed of the Code will make it available for all to use without restriction and will allow for-profit and non-profit entities to construct alternative versions of the CFR."

Also of note, Public.Resource.Org proposes a joint venture with GPO to open source the remainder of their bulk electronic products including: Congressional Directory, Congressional Record, Daily Bills Digest, Daily Bills, Federal Register, Federal Register Index, List of Federal Regulations Affected, the United States Code, the U.S. Government Manual, and the Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents.

[RJ]