On February 26, 2015 the Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet of the House Judiciary Committee, chaired by Rep. Goodlatte held another in a series of hearings related to copyright. The subject of this hearing was The US Copyright Office: Its Functions and Resources.
© Eugene Mopsik
The witnesses giving testimony were:
- Professor Robert Brauneis, George Washington University Law School
- Ms. Lisa Dunner, Dunner Law PLLC, on behalf of ABA
- Mr. Keith Kupferschmid, SIAA
- Ms. Nancy J. Mertzel, Schoeman Updike Kaufman & Stern LLP, on behalf of AIPLA.
Attached below please find a summary of the individual testimony and the Question and Answer from this session produced by the American Continental Group. The Copyright Office recently released a report on Technological Upgrades to Registration and Recordation.
The participants were in general agreement that the Copyright Office needs additional resources – human, technological, and financial and that it should be in control of its own IT Systems. Also, the Copyright Office should be given greater authority for Rule Making and greater autonomy so as to maintain impartiality and to be better able to adapt to changing needs.
This meeting was one of a series over the last year and half exploring the possible need for changes and revisions to the Copyright Act. Visual artists have for some time wanted the creation of an alternate dispute resolution means or small claims court within the copyright system. Also, there is interest in an annual registration fee, the elimination of the deposit copy requirement, and possibly the elimination of the requirement for registration prior to infringement in order to bring legal action. Additionally, visual artists would like the ability to register images from within digital asset management workflow.
Take time to support Copyright! Please sign the Copyright Alliance petition to be sent to the 114th Congress.
Stayed tuned to APA for future developments in the copyright debate.
