Subcommittee to Hold First Hearing on Comprehensive Copyright Review
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Howard Coble (R-N.C.), and Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee Ranking Member Mel Watt (D-N.C.) released the following statements in advance of tomorrow’s hearing.
Chairman Goodlatte: “The goal of this hearing, along with the ones that will be held in the coming months, will be to determine whether the copyright laws are still working in the digital age to reward creativity and innovation. The Committee is not endorsing the specific recommendations of the Copyright Principles Project. However, it is my hope that this hearing will help demonstrate how interested parties can come together to discuss copyright issues in a productive way.”
Ranking Member Conyers: “I welcome the Judiciary Committee’s review of copyright policy, as intellectual property is the foundation that supports our economy in the 21st century. Copyright is the engine that promotes creativity as well as artistic innovation, and our efforts in Congress should bolster these valuable protections for creators.”
Subcommittee Chairman Coble: “The American copyright laws are the gold standard for innovation and creativity. Thursday’s subcommittee hearing will start the discussion on how we can further its positive impact.”
Subcommittee Ranking Member Watt: “As we review copyright law and policy in the digital era, this Committee should work to secure the rights of the creators who enhance our lives and grow our economy while balancing the interests of the public. The global appetite for intellectual property will benefit best from a robust copyright regime that protects the rights of authors.”
Witnesses for tomorrow’s hearing have all participated in a multi-year effort known as the Copyright Principles Project that brought together stakeholders to identify basic copyright law principles that spanned various interests. They include:
Jon Baumgarten, retired Proskauer Rose attorney and former General Counsel of the U.S. Copyright Office
Laura Gasaway, Professor, University of North Carolina Law School and co-chair of the Section 108 Study Group
Daniel Gervais, Director, Vanderbilt Law School Intellectual Property Program
Pam Samuelson, Professor, University of California at Berkeley Law School
Jule Sigall, Assistant General Counsel for Copyright, Microsoft and former Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs of the U.S. Copyright Office
All House Judiciary Committee hearings are webcast live at www.judiciary.house.gov. The hearing will take place in 2141 Rayburn. For more information about this hearing, visit /_files/hearings/113th/hear_05162013.html.
Background: Chairman Goodlatte first announced his intention to undertake a comprehensive review of U.S. copyright law on April 24th in a speech before the World Intellectual Property Day celebration at the Library of Congress.