Reps. Chu, Marino Introduce Bill with Historic Reforms to the Copyright Office

Washington, D.C.—Today, Congresswoman Judy Chu (CA-27), Congressman Tom Marino (PA-10) and Congresswoman Barbara Comstock (VA-10) introduced H.R. 4241 – the Copyright Office for the Digital Economy Act or the CODE Act. This comes after months of discussion with various stakeholders, including several joint Member roundtables.

As a result, improvements were made to the bill which reflect a consensus across various industries and public interest groups since the discussion draft bill was released for comment in June. Among the new changes are:

·         Housing the Copyright Office in the Legislative Branch

·         Requiring ongoing technology studies to ensure the office remains current with technology to be more user friendly which includes improving upon the searchable database

·         The establishment of an advisory board representing a variety of interests and views tasked with providing the Office with candid feedback on the office current field of copyright to ensure neutrality and objectivity

·         Technical provisions to ensure a more seamless transition away from the Library of Congress

Congresswoman Chu said the following of the bill:

“I am proud to join Rep. Marino to introduce legislation that would modernize the Copyright Office. The copyright industries are responsible for millions of jobs and billions of dollars in our economy, yet the office responsible is running on analog in a digital world. Over the course of this year, we met with interested stakeholders to discuss the needs of the Copyright Office and the changes we must make to bring it into the modern age. I appreciate their participation and the feedback we received that helped shape this legislation. As a result, this bill would make operational improvements, provide budgetary control to the Copyright Office, and ensure that it has sound legal ground to perform its core mission. I look forward to continuing my work with colleagues and interested parties on the improvements needed to ensure that our country has a Copyright Office that reflects the 21st century.”

Congressman Marino said:

“Creativity is the essence that has made America the most prosperous nation in the world. However, we have allowed our Copyright Office to fall behind the fast-moving pace of America’s creators and the industries they work within, which hurts copyright holders as well as the public. This bill will ensure the Office has great autonomy to more quickly adapt to changes in technology and accessibility to ensure the public can enjoy the benefits of creative works while ensuring the artists get paid. We approached this effort thoroughly and sought the advice and feedback of everyone interested in copyright. This bill is well thought-out, reasonable and provides a long-term solution to the Copyright Office’s ailments. I am more than confident this proposal will garner more and more support as we move forward.”

The text of the bill can be found here.