A lawsuit that challenged a rule allowing non-manufacturers hired by hospitals to access copyrighted software for the purpose of diagnosis and repair of computer-controlled medical equipment has been dismissed.

A federal judge in the District of Columbia last week dismissed a challenge from two medtech industry groups to a rule that allows companies that repair medical devices such as MRI machines, CT scanners and defibrillators to sidestep copyright protections intended to limit access to software embedded in the equipment.

The final rule, adopted by the Library of Congress in 2021, exempts companies hired by hospitals to service equipment containing manufacturers’ copyrighted software from a 1998 law enacted to combat digital piracy risks.

The trade groups had argued that establishing the exemption for device repairs was beyond the congressional librarian’s statutory authority and a violation of constitutional separation of powers.

Read the full article at MedTech Dive.