Internet Policy Task Force to Host Series of Roundtables on Copyright Internet Policy Topics

Washington, D.C. – Public meetings called for in U.S. Commerce Department’s Green Paper on “Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in the Digital Economy” will be held in Tennessee, Massachusetts and California.

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Internet Policy Task Force will host roundtable discussions in cities around the country on several copyright Internet policy topics, as part of the work envisioned in the Green Paper. The purpose of the roundtables is to engage further with members of the public on the following issues: (1) the legal framework for the creation of remixes; (2) the relevance and scope of the first sale doctrine in the digital environment; and (3) the appropriate calibration of statutory damages in the contexts of individual file sharers and of secondary liability for large-scale infringement.

The roundtables, which will be led by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), will be held in Nashville, Tennessee on May 21, 2014, Cambridge, Massachusetts on June 25, 2014, Los Angeles, California on July 29, 2014, and Berkeley, California on July 30, 2014.

In the Green Paper and subsequent requests for public comments on October 3, 2013, the Task Force stated its intention to hold roundtable discussions on these issues. On December 12, 2013, the Task Force held a day-long public meeting to discuss the issues identified for its further work in the Green Paper, which included panel discussions on remixes, the first sale doctrine, and statutory damages, as well as other topics. The purpose of the planned roundtables is to seek additional input from the public in different parts of the country in order for the Task Force to have a complete and thorough record upon which to make recommendations.

Requests to participate and observe are due three weeks in advance of each of the respective roundtables. While the Task Force may not be able to grant all requests, it will seek to maximize participation to the extent possible. The agendas and webcast instructions will be available approximately one week prior to each meeting on the Task Force website and the USPTO website. Additional information including RSVP instructions and directions can be found at http://events.Signup4.com/copyrightgreenpaper and in the Federal Register Notice.

For further information regarding the meetings, interested parties may contact Ben Golant, Office of Policy and International Affairs, at (571) 272-7070, or benjamin.golant@uspto.gov or Hollis Robinson, Office of Policy and International Affairs, at (571) 272-1500, or hollis.robinson@uspto.gov.