SCOOP: Copyright Office shouldn’t be independent, Re:Create says
On a related note, members of the newly formed Re:Create coalition are firing off a letter to the House Judiciary Committee outlining their desires for Copyright Office reform. Key to their message is that the department shouldn’t become a standalone agency. That’s been a point of contention for content companies and tech groups, because depending on how the office is updated, it could give a few individuals broad power over hotly debated copyright issues.
The coalition writes that “the case has not been made for transforming the Copyright Office into an independent agency. … Specifically, there has yet to be any explanation of how that would somehow resolve the information technology issues within the office, or enable the Office to be properly responsive to the public.” The Google-backed coalition includes members like EFF, The R Street Institute, and American Library Association. The full letter is here.
