House of Representatives Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte has circulated a proposal to reform and modernize the Copyright Office. The proposal says the Copyright Office is not sufficient to meet the needs of a modern 21st Century copyright system and needs more funding and changes to how it operates. There is no mention of radio performance royalty in the proposal.
One of the changes in the proposal is how the Register is nominated. “To ensure that the American people have an opportunity to provide input into the selection of future Registers of Copyright through their elected officials, the next Register and all that follow should be subject to a nomination and consent process with a 10-year term limit, subject to potential re-nomination. The Copyright Office should also add several positions to advise the Register, including a Chief Economist, Chief Technologist, and a Deputy Register.”
NAB CEO Gordon Smith applauded the plan, saying it was an important step forward in the Judiciary Committee’s review of the copyright law. “As proposals from leadership in both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees recognize, a modern Copyright Office is essential to the ability of copyright owners and users to effectively serve consumers in today’s digital marketplace. NAB looks forward to working with members on both sides of the aisle to continue to address this consensus issue next Congress.”
Read the full proposal HERE.
