STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE HOWARD COBLE

CHAIRMAN

SUBCOMMITTEE ON COURTS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

REGARDING

THE OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE ADMINISTRATION

OF THE COPYRIGHT OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES

JULY 23, 1998

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Good Morning. The Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property will come to order. Today we are conducting an oversight hearing on the administration of the Copyright Office of the United States. The House Judiciary Committee is charged with the responsibility of overseeing the administration and operation of the Copyright Office of the United States. To that end, we will be reviewing the administrative activities and the funding and expenditures of the Copyright Office to ensure that it is utilizing its resources effectively.

The Copyright Office is a division in the Library of Congress. It performs several functions aside from its primary responsibility to examine and register copyright claims. These other functions include: maintaining records regarding transfers and terminations of copyright, administering the Copyright Arbitration Royalty Panel, providing information to the public about copyright law and registration procedures, providing technical assistance to the Congress, assisting the domestic and international copyright community in copyright protection and collecting works to be deposited in the Library of Congress.

The Copyright Office raises revenue only through the collection of fees for registration of copyrights. Currently, the cost of filing and receiving a certificate of registration is $20. The fees are deposited to a copyright office account in the U.S. Treasury. In the budgetary process, those fees are taken into account in determining the amount of money to be appropriated the Copyright Office. In FY 1998 the Copyright Office received $34,361,000 in appropriations. In FY 1997 the Copyright Office received $33,402,000 in appropriations and collected $14,962,831 in basic copyright fees. The Subcommittee will focus on how this money is allocated between the various functions of the Office and whether or not it is being utilized efficiently and effectively.

Several topics will be discussed. The Subcommittee will explore the possibility of creating a self-sufficient Copyright Office. As the amount of fees collected increases, many take the position that the Office should receive less in appropriations and raise fees in an effort to be self-sustaining. Others are concerned that an increase in fees could result in fewer registrations and deposits or that increased fee collection means a heavier workload for the same number of employees. The Subcommittee will also discuss the Copyright Office's implementation of an electronic access system, the cost of implementing the system and how the system will impact operating costs and the efficiency of performing its duties. This list of topics to be covered is by no means exhaustive. All Members of the Subcommittee are welcome to address any issues related to the administration of the Copyright Office of the United States.

I now to turn to the Ranking Member, Barney Frank, for an opening statement.

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