Showing posts with label Register of Copyrights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Register of Copyrights. Show all posts

Sunday, April 02, 2017

Why You Should Ask Your Congresspersons To Vote "Yes" on H.R. 1695

H.R. 1695 is a Bill to modernize the U.S. Copyright Office.

If you wish to read the Bill that was introduced with bipartisan support on March 23rd, and which was sent to the floor of the House by a 27-1 vote in the Judiciary Committee... look here:

http://copyrightalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/HR-1695.pdf

It appears that the one person who chose not to co-sponsor the Bill was Henry C. Johnson of Georgia

H.R. 1695 would take the office of The Register of Copyrights (the position that Maria Pallante held
until she was demoted by the Librarian of Congress, some say to manage the Library of Congress gift shop) away from the control of the Library of Congress.

If this Bill passes, The Register of Copyrights will be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Register shall be an American citizen, shall have experience in copyright matters, and shall serve for up to ten years at the pleasure of the President.

The copyrightalliance.org and many other organizations are urging individual creators to write personally and individually to their Representatives, to ask their Representative to support H. R. 1695

Here's how to locate your Representative by typing in your own zip code:
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

More info from the copyrightalliance.org here:
http://copyrightalliance.org/news-events/copyright-news-newsletters/compilation-register-copyrights-accountability/


All the best,
Rowena Cherry

Sunday, January 22, 2017

What Do You Want In A Register?

What do you want in a Register... of Copyrights?

January 31st 2017 is the deadline for copyright owners and future copyright owners to opine.

https://www.research.net/r/RegisterOfCopyrights

It's free, easy, and not terribly time consuming.  Please make your voices heard.

These are the questions in the 3-question survey:

1. What are the knowledge, skills, and abilities that you believe are the most important for the Register of Copyrights?

2. What should be the top three priorities for the Register of Copyrights?

3. Are there other factors that should be considered?

Optional: you may upload supporting material as a file.

That's it!

FWIW, the "Register" is a person. The position was vacated when Maria Pallante was constructively demoted. Rumor has it, Maria Pallante was too sympathetic to copyright owners, musicians, songwriters, authors of books, creators of movies and tv shows that are delivered through cable and satellite channels.

Probably, people who depend on legal sales, contracts, subscription fees, licensing and royalties for their books, movies, sound-tracks, music etc would like a copyright enthusiast in the Register's office.

Perhaps, authors and other creators would like a Register who has a history of representing or supporting copyright owners, and who is clearly supported by copyright owners, rather than one supported by pirates, copyright infringers, "permissionless innovators", or the sort of persons who tell us that "information wants to be free" and include in-copyright fiction and musical works as "information".

Some management experience would be helpful. It would also be good if they were articulate and personable, and able to testify effectively to Congress.

It would be truly remarkable and lovely if those studying the survey comments would give more weight to the replies of persons whose livelihood is affected by copyright ownership than to freeloaders and enterprises who advertise to freeloaders.

In other copyright related news, kudos to the UK and to ISPs in the UK.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/watch-pirate-tv-online-you-12463944

Copyright infringers who use Torrents and software to illegally download music, ebooks, films, sports etc will be receiving letters from their broadband providers, explaining to them that what they are doing is illegal, and recommending legal places to find what they want.

All the best,

Rowena Cherry

Sunday, October 23, 2016

Creepy IP for Halloween, Maria P. Goes ...Bumped Into The Night

Look out for the #CreepyIP  hashtag. Anticipating Halloween, the USPTO publishes an entertaining and edifying blog about all the Intellectual Property and copyrights on display during Halloween (in the candies, costumes, decorations, tools and gadgets.

https://www.commerce.gov/news/blog/2016/10/when-patents-and-trademarks-go-bump-night

Perhaps you might like to join the conversation?

Something else, prematurely went "bump into the night" and gave some imaginative and creative people a case of the horrors.  On Friday October 21st, Maria Pallante, the Register of Copyrights who has been a courageous and outspoken advocate for creators, authors, artists and musicians, was "bumped upstairs" and allegedly deprived of internet access to the Library of Congress computer system, according to two sources who spoke with Library employees.

https://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2016/16-189.html

And
https://artistrightswatch.com/2016/10/22/google-fires-head-of-u-s-copyright-office/

Why, though? The Trichordist has some thoughts
https://thetrichordist.com/2016/10/21/google-and-public-knowledge-coup-register-of-copyrights-fired-dark-days-ahead/

According to Billboard
http://www.billboard.com/articles/business/7549978/maria-pallante-removed-us-register-of-copyrights

"US Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante was removed from her job Friday morning (Oct 21) by the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, who has authority over the Copyright Office...."

It is interesting to reflect on who supports Carla Hayden. Alleged P2P Pirates!
https://thetrichordist.com/2016/02/28/former-director-of-p2p-piracy-alliance-endorses-nominee-to-oversee-copyright-office/

To this author, it seems strange that businesses that consider music, movies, books, photographs, and games "content" and that publish and distribute and monetize other peoples' intellectual property ... often without the copyright owners' affirmative consent should have any influence on the  Copyright Office and the Register of Copyrights.  But, that's the current Administration for you. It's not likely to change in the next 4 years.

Buy stock in Google and Amazon.... and get some cool and creepy disguises for Halloween and the dark days ahead.

All the best,
Rowena Cherry