WASHINGTON — Last week, Re:Create, its members, consumer groups, and other copyright stakeholders submitted requested comments to Senator Thom Tillis on his proposed Digital Copyright Act of 2021, which was first released in December 2020. Below are excerpts of their submissions which are unified in their strong, clear objections to the flawed proposal which would warp the DMCA. Creates a…

The Digital Copyright Act would have a chilling effect on the internet ecosystem. Had it passed just 10 years ago, this new creative industry would never have been created. It deter the proliferation of not just the new creative economy — additional innovative technologies, like cloud services, would not exist. No investor would have taken a chance on the platforms…

Last week more than 50 universities, associations, and organizations celebrated the eighth annual Fair Use/Fair Dealing Week, a celebration of these critical copyright doctrines that foster scholarship and creativity. Fair use in the US and fair dealing in Canada allow the public to lawfully use copyrighted materials without asking for permission. Described by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg as a built-in accommodation…

Re:Create Letter To Congress. In a letter to the 117th Congress, Re:Create details its copyright priorities and calls for equitable copyright policy for every sector of society. The letter also emphasizes the effectiveness of the DMCA in support of online creativity and economic growth. “Attempts to increase the protections provided by U.S. copyright law may serve an important purpose, but…

In a letter to the 117th U.S. Congress, Re:Create details its copyright priorities and calls for equitable copyright policy for every sector of society. The letter also emphasizes the effectiveness of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in support of online creativity and economic growth. Attempts to increase the protections provided by U.S. copyright law may serve an important purpose,…

We started the week sharing the ways that we’re all fair users now, and as #fairuseweek nears its end, we now look to the future. ARL’s Action Plan prioritizes digital rights, which to us means working toward barrier-free access to information. Barriers to internet access can be physical or economic, such as lacking broadband at home when schools and libraries are closed. Bad public policy…

In early February, Columbia University Libraries and LYRASIS launched the Virtual Copyright Education Center (VCEC) pilot project. With a stellar faculty drawn from experts in research libraries and museums, “the project will introduce new classes to enable cultural heritage professionals to move beyond a basic understanding of copyright. The project also includes business planning to develop a sustainable service model to…

Today kicks off Fair Use Week, an annual celebration of the important doctrine of fair use/fair dealing. Previously, ARL has debunked common fair use myths, and reviewed the fundamentals of fair use. This year, in acknowledgement that our world has changed since February 2020, we highlight three ways that fair use has allowed us to move our lives online during the COVID-19…

If you make and share things online, professionally or for fun, you’ve been affected by copyright law. You may use a service that depends on the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) in order to survive. You may have gotten a DMCA notice if you used part of a movie, TV show, or song in your work. You have almost certainly…

Advance Warnings About Consequences Of Australian Link Tax Problems. In advance of announcements by Facebook and Google this week related to the Australian Code Proposal, Jonathan Band and Sean Flynn warned about how the proposal would disrupt free expression rights and international law. While Public Knowledge also warned about the negative consequences for the public interest and potential for news…