Public Knowledge has proposed a US Copyright Reform Act that will rebalance US copyright so that it continues to offer rules of the road for regulating various players in copyright industries (writers, programmers, publishers, painters, distributors) but carve out all the stuff we do on the Internet that involves incidental copying, from retrieving health-care information to IMing with our distant families, as well as strengthening fair use and rebalancing the DMCA.
1) strengthen fair use, including reforming outrageously high statutory damages, which deter innovation and creativity; 2) reform the DMCA to permit circumvention of digital locks for lawful purposes; 3) update the limitations and exceptions to copyright protection to better conform with how digital technologies work; 4) provide recourse for people and companies who are recklessly accused of copyright infringement and who are recklessly sent improper DMCA take-down notices; and 5) streamline arcane music licensing laws to encourage new and better business models for selling music.
Public Knowledge Proposes New Copyright Reform Act
(via Resource Shelf)
(Image: Large copyright graffiti sign on cream colored wall, a Creative Commons Attribution photo from Horia Varlan's photostream)
