Marybeth Peters’ Statement at OECD
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Here are the keywords I wrote down during Marybeth Peters’ (U.S. Register of Copyrights, United States Copyright Office) statement here in Rome, which she delivered in the context of the final policy roundtable aimed at identifying priority issues, tools, and policy challenges.
- We must adjust our copyright laws to the digital environment. Copyright law has always responded to new technologies.
- Must be an internationally coordinated response due to the global nature of the Net.
- If copyright owner choose to use TPM, those TPM must be protected. Both copy & access controls.
- Key questions to ask: Are there new rights that are required to protect creators? But also: Do we need new exceptions (e.g. for libraries). Third, what are appropriate remedies (e.g. criminal penalties).
- Other important set of question: Who is the infringer (primary vs. secondary). This issue comes up in P2P context (Kazaa, Grokster, etc.) Secondary liability must be considered at the international level.
- Licensing issues: To be saved for the marketplace, no government intervention required. Consumers know what they want. Strongly opposed to compulsory licensing (costly, ineffective). Instead: DRM, collective administration to solve the problem.
