Wait, are building codes currently not copyrighted? Then why is it currently so hard to get a copy of them? My city (Chicago) basically has codes that say "NFPA NEC 2020 code, but you can't do any of this stuff, and need to do this extra stuff". Getting the referenced NEC code is a total PITA, same for the IBC (International Building Codes).
If they aren't copyrighted at the moment, could I freely distribute PDFs of them if I were to get them (maybe remove trademarks or whatever)?
Edit: I guess the crux of the issue is that when the laws do say "NEC 2020 but X", implicitly that referenced code is kinda public domain because the law itself needs to be?
I get that the standards organizations need to get money to do the testing to know that (e.g.) every permutation of wires with different insulation stuffed into a conduit of such a length is safe even if someone insulates around it yadda yadda, which can then get flattened to an actual useful code because electricians or inspectors don't want gigantic tables with every type of wire and their permutations and individual loads for them...they just want an easy way to figure out fill factor.
How should they get paid? I dunno. Royalties from municipalities that use them? $X per hour per inspector that's checking against whatever code (NEC, IBC...)? $Y per square foot per inspection?
> wait, are building codes currently not copyrighted?
My understanding is that this is what is currently being argued about. Traditionally, the codes have been copyrighted, but more recently, people have argued that the law must be public (reasonable) and therefore if the law says "follow standard X", then standard X must therefor be public. It's still being argued, and this proposed law is an attempt to clarify this, supporting the pro-copyright side.
If they aren't copyrighted at the moment, could I freely distribute PDFs of them if I were to get them (maybe remove trademarks or whatever)?
Edit: I guess the crux of the issue is that when the laws do say "NEC 2020 but X", implicitly that referenced code is kinda public domain because the law itself needs to be?
I get that the standards organizations need to get money to do the testing to know that (e.g.) every permutation of wires with different insulation stuffed into a conduit of such a length is safe even if someone insulates around it yadda yadda, which can then get flattened to an actual useful code because electricians or inspectors don't want gigantic tables with every type of wire and their permutations and individual loads for them...they just want an easy way to figure out fill factor.
How should they get paid? I dunno. Royalties from municipalities that use them? $X per hour per inspector that's checking against whatever code (NEC, IBC...)? $Y per square foot per inspection?