U.S. Copyright Office, NewsNet Issue 606

NewsNet Issue 606
December 30, 2015

Copyright Office Initiates Section 512 Study and Requests Public Comments

The U.S. Copyright Office is initiating a study to assess the impact and effectiveness of section 512 of Title 17. To aid this effort, the Office will publish on December 31, 2015, a Federal Register notice soliciting written comments from the public on several aspects of section 512, including the general operation of section 512’s safe harbor provisions, the processes for issuing takedown notices and counter notifications, and the legal standards that apply under the statute. The Notice of Inquiry and more information about the study are available here.

Written comments must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on March 21, 2016. Specific instructions for submitting comments will be posted on the Copyright Office website on or before February 1, 2016. The Office will be announcing one or more public meetings, to take place after the initial written comments are received, by separate notice in the future.