Introduction: Shira Perlmutter, Chief Policy Officer and
Director for International Affairs, USPTO
Copyright Office is covering many of the key issues
addressed/not addressed in the Green Paper with studies etc. Support/provide input into those issues.
Speaker: Maria Pallante, Register of Copyrights and Director
of the United States Copyright Office
No focused attention from the executive since the WIPO
treaties of the mid-90s. Important to have neutral, inclusive and informed
policy. Bob Goodlatte: new copyright challenges—internet enables making
available both authorized and not.
Questions of copyright ownership of historical works. Statutory damages
are a concern; old laws are difficult to apply today. Copyright Office
struggles to meet needs of its customers, the public.
Congress isn’t committed to a legislative package yet—we’re
in no way close to that. But Congress has a clear role in copyright policy.
More and more people are affected by copyright law; need to consider
constitutional purposes. Copyright owners’ control can’t be absolute, and so we
have things to reconcile. The public performance right is of paramount
importance in the digital space. There are no criminal remedies for
infringement as there are for reproduction/distribution and that’s a gap; there
should be a way to craft remedies. But there also needs to be room for private
performance. Need orphan works policies
both for isolated cases and for mass digitization. Further roundtables will convene in the
spring, and release drafts of legislative proposals. Need to address state of
compulsory licenses, repeal some, consider new forms of collective/blanket
licensing, review existing consent decrees.
Will be studying music licensing.
Highlights from hearings: in May, case study for consensus
building with members of Copyright Principles Project. Innovation in America;
the Role of Technology; the Role of Voluntary Agreements. The Rise of
Innovative Business Models. Theme: innovation.
All the following comes from the various witnesses: Basic structure of
the Act is sound; we need balanced changes to existing provisions. Recordation of transfers is a priority, maybe
tied to remedies. Encouraging registration for better information. Remain tech-neutral. Copyright should foster
certainty for businesses. These themes were also brought out in questions, not
just written testimony. More opinions
from witnesses: Copyright owners lock down with restrictions; just trying to
comply with current statute is expensive/cost-prohibitive. Fair use for employees at institutions is too
indefinite even if the statute in theory helps them. Fair use was never
intended to be relied on so much and is overused—but digital technology has
changed how students learn/interact. Lack of clarity around reasonable/ordinary
personal use has contributed to disrespect for/misunderstanding of law. Keep in mind noneconomic goals of copyright—won’t
disseminate unless copyright owner feels safe.
Fair use is important, but DRM gets in the way. Voluntary initiatives
illustrate the importance of multistakeholder, market-driven solutions in
addressing piracy.
So, what’s next?
Scope of rights, fair use, and DMCA will all be considered next year.
One or more hearings on Copyright Office itself.
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