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IPFS News Link • Legislation

Hollywood-friendly copyright bill passes House of Representatives

• theverge.com by Adi Robertson

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), will now move to the Senate, where it's being put forward by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND).

As we've written previously, this bill would grant the US Copyright Office more agency in advocating for specific copyright policy — something that's previously led to conflict between the office and the Library of Congress. Goodlatte and other supporters of the bill describe it as a way to make the Register of Copyright democratically accountable, since they would be confirmed by the Senate rather than chosen by the Librarian of Congress. But it would also open it up to greater influence from lobbyists, particularly from groups that stand to benefit from harsher copyright rules — like the MPAA, which has praised the bill's passage.


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