Reps. Judy Chu and Doug Collins Welcome Hearing to Modernize Copyright Office
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the functioning of the Copyright Office and how it can be improved. Reps. Judy Chu (CA-27) and Doug Collins (GA-09), co-chairs of the Creative Rights Caucus (CRC), released the following statements:
"Copyright protection is so essential to our country that it was explicitly enshrined in the constitution. And thanks to that protection, the core copyright industries contributed over a trillion dollars to our economy while providing more than 5 million jobs in 2013. Much of this has been thanks to the excellent work of Register Pallante, but there are serious concerns that the Copyright Office is challenged by deficiencies in resources and structure," said Rep. Chu. "The Copyright Office today faces new priorities never imagined at its inception, like the emergence of new technologies. Helping to modernize this office, possibly even restructuring the way it works, will help improve content delivery, support content creators, and benefit our economy. Bringing the Copyright Office into the 21st Century is a point of bipartisan agreement and I thank Chairman Goodlatte for organizing this important hearing."
"The Copyright Office supports American innovation and economic growth. There is a strong argument for updating its technological capabilities to better serve creators and businesses that depend on its smooth functioning to serve their needs. However, the Office right now depends on antiquated information systems, which could be updated. At our hearing today, we heard from users various ways Congress could increase its efficiency to meet 21st Century standards," said Rep. Collins.