The Copyright Alliance advocates for policies that promote and preserve the value of copyright and protect the rights of creators, copyright owners and innovators. On a regular basis, the Copyright Alliance testifies at and submits written statements to Congressional hearings relating to different aspects of copyright law or the copyright system. Our mission is to ensure Congress understands the issues that are important to the creative community, especially with regard to continuously changing modern technology and how such changes affect creators and copyright owners. Our statements submitted to Congressional hearings can be found on this page. Some examples of the issues we have addressed in statements include, but are not limited to, the DMCA, the CASE Act, the terrestrial public performance right, and modernizing the U.S. Copyright Office.
April 5, 2022
Letter to Congress on U.S. Innovation and Competition Act
House and Senate Leadership
Summary:
The Copyright Alliance sent a letter to Senate Majority and Minority Leaders Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and House Majority and Minority Leaders Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), expressing concern that the United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 will undermine copyright protections for American rightsholders. Specifically, the letter points out that while public access to research reports and raw data is important, the bill’s public access language goes too far by undermining copyright protection through unreasonable licensing requirements.
February 1, 2022
Letter to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights on the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act.
Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights
Summary:
The Copyright Alliance sent a letter to Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights Chairwoman Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Ranking Member Mike Lee (R-UT), voicing support of the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (JCPA) in light of the Subcommittee’s hearing on Journalism, Competition, and the Effects of Market Power on a Free Press. The letter highlights that “[e]nacting legislation like the JCPA would represent a crucial step toward . . . bolstering press publishers’ abilities to continue generate and disseminate news content for the American public.”
July 28, 2021
Letter to Members of the House of Representatives in Support of the American Music Fairness Act
House of Representatives
Summary:
The Copyright Alliance sent a letter to all members of the House of Representatives voicing support for the American Music Fairness Act (AMFA), H.R. 4130, a bill that would revise the Copyright Act to provide a terrestrial public performance right for sound recordings.
December 15, 2020
Written Testimony – The Role of Private Agreements and Existing Technology in Curbing Online Piracy
Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee
Summary:
Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid testified before the Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee on the role of private agreements and existing technology in curbing online piracy.
September 30, 2020
Written Testimony – Copyright and the Internet in 2020: Reactions to the Copyright Office’s Report on the Efficacy of Section 512
House Judiciary Committee
Summary:
Copyright Alliance VP, Legal Policy Terrica Carrington testified before the House Judiciary Committee on reactions to Copyright Office’s report, which concludes that the careful balance that Congress intended regarding Section 512 has been tilted askew, to the detriment of copyright owners.
August 26, 2020
Statement on Requirements and Procedures for Filing a DMCA Takedown Notice
Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee
Summary:
On August 26, Copyright Alliance CEO Keith Kupferschmid participated in a Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee staff briefing on the requirements and procedures for filing a DMCA takedown notice. While noting that the concerns raised in a prior written statement are of equal, if not greater, significance, his statement highlights issues related to the representative list requirement, additional takedown requirements imposed by service providers, problems with webforms used by service providers, and counter-notices.
July 9, 2020
Letter to Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee on a Terrestrial Public Performance Right
Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee
Summary:
The Copyright Alliance sent a letter to Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee Chairman Thom Tillis (R-NC) and Ranking Member Chris Coons (D-DE) voicing support for a terrestrial public performance right for sound recordings in light of the Subcommittee’s recent briefing on the Scope of Music Rights within the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. In urging Congress to take up this issue, the letter highlights the fact that “the United States is one of the few countries in the world that does not recognize a full public performance right for sound recording owners”
June 2, 2020
Statement for the record – “Is the Notice and Takedown System Working in the 21st Century”
Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee
Summary:
The Copyright Alliance submitted a statement for the record concerning the hearing titled “Is the Notice and Takedown System Working in the 21st Century” before the Senate Judiciary IP Subcommittee.
March 22, 2019
Letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Opposing Section 119 Reauthorization
Senate Judiciary Committee
Summary:
The section 119 compulsory license for satellite retransmission of distant broadcast signals is set to expire at the end of this year, and the Copyright Alliance does not support any further reauthorization of the license. The Copyright Alliance believes that creators are most fairly compensated when there are no distortions in the marketplace.
March 22, 2019
Letter to House Judiciary Committee Opposing Section 119 Reauthorization
House Judiciary Committee
Summary:
The section 119 compulsory license for satellite retransmission of distant broadcast signals is set to expire at the end of this year, and the Copyright Alliance does not support any further reauthorization of the license. The Copyright Alliance believes that creators are most fairly compensated when there are no distortions in the marketplace.