This blog post is part of a series on communications policies Public Knowledge recommends in response to the pandemic. You can read more of our proposals here and view the full series here. The right to repair consumer goods such as gaming systems, appliances, and even medical equipment is more important than ever now that we are living […]

Yesterday, the U.S. Copyright Office released a report evaluating the impact and effectiveness of the “safe harbor” provisions contained in Section 512 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. The report recommends “rebalancing” the “safe harbor” protection — jeopardizing one of the most important safeguards for the Open Internet without taking due account of ways the current system has been abused.

Today, we’re happy to announce our newest white paper, “Making Sense of the Termination Right: How the System Fails Artists and How to Fix It,” which explores the “termination right” — the inalienable right of an artist, author, or creator to terminate a copyright license or grant and take back the rights they have lost. […]

Today, Public Knowledge sent a letter urging Congress to vote against H.R. 2426, the CASE Act. Public Knowledge opposes the bill as written because it would create an unaccountable “court” within the legislative branch and empower it to issue unreviewable, unappealable default judgments.

Last night, the House Judiciary Committee marked up Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-NY) bill, “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019,” (H.R. 2426), to establish a new Copyright Claim Board within the United States Copyright Office.

Today, the Senate Judiciary Committee marked up Senator John Kennedy’s (R-LA) bill, “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019,” (S. 1273), to establish a new Copyright Claim Board within the United States Copyright Office. Public Knowledge opposes the bill as written due to grave concerns with its contents.

Today, Representatives Doug Collins (R-GA) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) introduced the “Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019” (CASE Act) to establish a new Copyright Claim Board within the United States Copyright Office. Public Knowledge opposes the bill as written due to grave concerns with its contents.

Today, Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden announced her appointment of Karyn A. Temple as the new Register of Copyrights, a role she has filled on an acting basis since 2016. As the head of the U.S. Copyright Office, Ms. Temple will oversee the Office’s administration of major areas of copyright law, such as registration by copyright owners and various statutory licenses, as well as the advice the Office provides to Congress.

Yesterday, Public Knowledge filed comments with the Copyright Office in its rulemaking, as part of the recently passed Music Modernization Act, to establish a “safe harbor” protocol for non-commercial use of pre-1972 sound recordings. Public Knowledge encourages the Office to make this safe harbor process accessible to average Americans.

Today, Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) introduced the Transparency in Music Licensing and Ownership Act, which would establish an information database for musical works and sound recordings that users and services could search and would make music licensing more efficient.