Government Reports


September 2017	Revising Section 108: Copyright Exceptions for Libraries and Archives (Discussion Document) Copyright Office SUMMARY: The Copyright Office created a Discussion Document in an effort to facilitate a final resolution regarding the need to update section 108 of the U.S. Copyright Act, which details copyright exceptions for libraries and archives. The document reviews past issues and concerns with revision, outlines the Office’s current views and proposals on various revision issues, and presents model statutory language for a new section 108. The Office emphasizes that this is not its final review on section 108 but a basis for future discussions to develop a greater consensus on proposed changes.
September 2017	Mass Digitization Pilot Program (House Letter) Copyright Office SUMMARY: In this letter, the Copyright Office concludes that there is insufficient stakeholder interest and agreement currently to move forward with establishing a pilot program for facilitating certain types of mass digitization projects through extended collective licensing (ECL). The Office based its conclusion on public comments received in response to its NOI on the matter. However, the Office notes that it still believes an ECL framework could be beneficial for the copyright system, so it lays the foundation for future stakeholder discussions by breaking down the public comments, identifying key elements of an ECL system, and highlighting issues to focus on in future dialogues.
September 2017	Modified U.S. Copyright Office Provisional IT Modernization Plan Copyright Office SUMMARY: The Modified U.S. Copyright Office Provisional IT Modernization Plan was developed at the request of the House Appropriations Legislative Branch Subcommittee, which directed the USCO, in collaboration with the Library of Congress’s Office of the Chief Information Officer (“OCIO”) to modify its 2016 Provisional IT Modernization Plan to include potential opportunities for shared efficiencies and cost-savings as well as ways the Library’s CIO Office can support the Office in its overall modernization effortsThe Plan outlines the current status of IT modernization efforts for Recordation, Registration, Public Records Catalog, and Statutory Licensing, along with planned efforts for FY2018 and beyond.
June 2017	Section 1201 of Title 17 Copyright Office SUMMARY: The Copyright Office "does not recommend altering the basic framework of section 1201, concluding that its overall structure and scope remain sound. It does, however, recommend certain legislative updates."
December 2016	Software-Enabled Consumer Products Copyright Office SUMMARY: The U.S. Copyright Office’s Software-Enabled Consumer Products report examined the adequacy of current copyright law in light of the rapid increase in software-enabled consumer products (SECP) available in the marketplace. The Report looked specifically at the following 5 areas of concern that arise in relation to SECP: Resale, Repair and Tinkering, Security Research, Interoperability, and Licensing of Embedded Software. The Office will continue to monitor these issues, but at this time, recommends no statutory changes.
September 2016	Intellectual Property and the U.S. Economy: 2016 Update Department of Commerce SUMMARY: This report on the impact of IP on the U.S. economy found that IP-intensive industries support more than 45 million jobs across the U.S. and account for more than $6 trillion worth of value added to the U.S. GDP.
May 2016	Intellectual Property Rights Violations: Federal Civil Remedies and Criminal Penalties Related to Copyrights, Trademarks, Patents, and Trade Secrets Congressional Research Service SUMMARY: This report provides information describing the federal civil remedies and criminal penalties that may be available as a consequence of violations of the federal intellectual property laws: the Copyright Act of 1976, the Patent Act of 1952, the Trademark Act of 1946 (conventionally known as the Lanham Act), and the Economic Espionage Act of 1996.
May 2016	Stakeholders' Views on a Phaseout of Licenses for Broadcast Programming Government Accountability Office SUMMARY: The GAO interviewed stakeholders for their views on phasing out the statutory licenses for broadcast programming. It found that a phaseout may be feasible for most participants in the video marketplace, although there may be statutory implications for the “carriage requirements” governing which local broadcast television stations are carried by cable and satellite operators.
April 2016	What’s on Television? The Intersection of Communications and Copyright Policies Congressional Research Service SUMMARY: Both the House Judiciary Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee have announced plans to review copyright and communications laws, respectively. Because of the intertwined relationship between copyright and communications laws, major reform of the regulatory structure is likely to require Congress or the courts to consider how copyright and communications laws intersect.
February 2016	The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP): In Brief Congressional Research Service SUMMARY: This report provides an overview of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, as well as a discussion of specific issues raised by its provisions.