Agency and Other Filings

As we advocate for policies that promote and preserve the value of copyright and protect the rights of creators and copyright owners, the Copyright Alliance regularly files comments with the U.S. Copyright Office and government agencies on different copyright policies studies and regulations. When we file comments, we encourage strong and effective copyright protections that will benefit the creative community and the copyright system more generally. When necessary, the Copyright Alliance conducts surveys of our creator members in order to collect data on important copyright issues. Some examples of comments we have filed with the U.S. Copyright Office and other government agencies include, but are not limited to, State Sovereign Immunity, Registration Modernization, Online Publication, Artificial Intelligence, and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).

February 20, 2024

Group Registration of Updates to a News Website

Summary:

On February 20, the Copyright Alliance submitted comments in response to the U.S. Copyright Office’s notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the creation of a new group registration option for frequently updated news websites. The comments applauded the Copyright Office for enacting the rule, suggested changes to enable greater flexibility for news media publishers to register news content, and urged the Office to update its discussion on statutory damages to acknowledge the independent economic value test.

February 2, 2024

Petition for Right-to-Repair Rulemaking

Summary:

The Copyright Alliance submitted comments in response to a request for comments published by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on January 3, 2024, regarding the Commission’s receipt of a petition from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund (PIRG) and iFixit requesting the Commission “initiate a rulemaking to protect consumers’ right to repair products they have purchased.” The comments highlight the successful application of section 1201 and the triennial rulemaking process and caution against any agency actions that would disrupt copyright law or override the authority of the Copyright Office.

December 6, 2023

Artificial Intelligence and Copyright (Reply Comments)

Summary:

The Copyright Alliance submitted reply comments in response to the Copyright Office’s notice of inquiry and request for comments on Artificial Intelligence and Copyright. The comments respond to many arguments made in the initial comment period, including those that claim case law supports a categorical fair use exception for generative AI training and that AI ingestion only involves the copying of non-protectable elements. The reply comments also stress that licensing for AI ingestion is possible, different AI models raise unique issues that require specific analysis, and AI companies are not immune from secondary liability under “Sony Safe Harbor.”

October 30, 2023

Artificial Intelligence and Copyright

Summary:

The Copyright Alliance submitted comments in response to the Copyright Office’s notice of inquiry and request for comments on Artificial Intelligence and Copyright. The comments address a range of issues at the intersection of copyright and generative artificial intelligence, including the need for labeling, recordkeeping, and transparency and concerns surrounding infringement related to the unauthorized use of copyrighted works for training.

October 2, 2023

Access to Electronic Works

Summary:

Copyright Alliance submitted comments in response to the U.S. Copyright Office’s notice of proposed rulemaking regarding updates to the regulations governing access to electronic deposits of published works submitted to the Office that have been selected for addition to the collections of the Library of Congress regarding updates to the regulations governing access to electronic deposits of published works submitted to the Office that have been selected for addition to the collections of the Library of Congress. The comments point out that the rulemaking is premature and that commensurate with the gravity of the issues introduced by the expansive scope of the proposed rule, further examinations of, critical updates to, and consultations on the registration and deposit systems and the Library’s security systems, programs, and practices are paramount.

August 23, 2023

Future Strategies in Anticounterfeiting and Antipiracy

Summary:

The Copyright Alliance submitted comments in response to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) request for public comments on Future Strategies in Anticounterfeiting and Antipiracy. The comments address a range of copyright piracy issues, including the need for better education for consumers, the ineffectiveness of certain provisions of the DMCA, and the need for the adoption of site-blocking mechanisms in the U.S.

August 11, 2023

Advancing Inclusive, Worker-Created Trade Policy

Summary:

The Copyright Alliance and the Institute for Intellectual Property and Social Justice (IIPSJ) filed comments in response to the request for comments (RFC) published by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) in the Federal Register on June 12, 2023, regarding how trade and investment policy may be designed to expand the benefits of trade to include underserved and marginalized communities here in the United States and with trading partners who share concerns about rising inequality.

July 7, 2023

Request for Information; National Priorities for Artificial Intelligence

Summary:

The Copyright Alliance filed comments in response to the request for information (RFI) published by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) in the Federal Register on May 26, 2023, requesting comments to help OSTP update U.S. national priorities and future actions on artificial intelligence (AI). The comments focus on issues related to protecting the rights of creators and copyright owners and promoting economic growth.

June 20, 2023

Copyright Claims Board Agreement-Based Counterclaims

Summary:

The Copyright Alliance submitted comments to the U.S. Copyright Office’s request for comments its proposed regulations for agreement-based counterclaims filed with the Copyright Claims Board (CCB). While the comments do not raise substantive objections with the rule, they reiterate the importance of ensuring that CCB rules and regulations do not become cumbersome or complex for pro se parties and that regulations governing protective orders should continue to be applicable.

June 12, 2023

AI Accountability Policy Request for Comment

Summary:

The Copyright Alliance filed comments in response to the request for comments published by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) in the Federal Register on April 13, 2023, regarding self-regulatory, regulatory, and other measures and policies that are designed to provide assurance that artificial intelligence (AI) systems are legal, effective, ethical, safe, and otherwise trustworthy. The comments discuss accountability and transparency in the context of ingestion of copyrighted works by AI systems.