Copyright Office and Patent and Trademark Office Announce Public Hearing and Request Comments

Press Releases

Read press releases issued by the U.S. Copyright Office.

February 19

Deadline for the second round of comments in the Copyright Office triennial rulemaking proceeding on exemptions from the prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works. Those who oppose or support any exemptions proposed in the initial comments will have the opportunity to respond to the proposals made in the initial comments and to provide factual information and legal argument addressing whether a proposed exemption should be adopted.

February 24

Beginning date to submit reply comments on Static Control Inc.'s petition to consider a newly proposed class of works to be exempted from the prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works as part of a pending rulemaking pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

February 28 at 5 p.m. E.S.T.

Deadline for filing 2002 DART royalty claims by fax (read details)

February 28, at 11:59 p.m. E.S.T.

Deadline for receipt on the Copyright Office server of 2002 DART royalty claims submitted online (read details)

March 3

Due date for comments and Notices of Intent to Participate regarding proposed regulations that set rates and terms for the use of sound recordings by preexisting subscription services for the period January 1, 2002, through December 31, 2007. (read details)

March 3 and 5

"The Copyright Office Comes to California" presented first in Santa Monica and next in San Francisco

March 5

Final date for reply comments on the proposed regulation governing termination of post-1977 transfers and licenses under 17 U.S.C. section 203 (read details)

March 10 at 5 p.m. E.S.T.

Final date to submit comments on Static Control Inc.'s petition to consider a newly proposed class of works to be exempted from the prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works as part of a pending rulemaking pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act

March 20

Due date for comments on the effectiveness of the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act and for notices of intent to participate in the public hearing on March 27 (read details)

March 27

Date of public hearing on effectiveness of the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act

April 14

Due date for reply comments on the effectiveness of the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act and for notices of intent to participate in the public hearing on March 27

Copyright Office and Patent and Trademark Office Announce Public Hearing and Request Comments

As a part of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, Congress passed the Vessel Hull Design Protection Act (VHDPA) which created sui generis protection for original designs of watercraft hulls and decks. The VHDPA was slated to sunset after two years, but in 1999, as part of the Intellectual Property and Communications Omnibus Reform Act, the VHDPA was made a permanent part of the law. See 17 U.S.C. chapter 13. In making the VHDPA permanent, Congress directed the Register of Copyrights and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office to conduct a study on the effectiveness of the VHDPA and to report their findings to the Judiciary Committees of the Senate and House of Representatives by November 1, 2003. Written comments must be received on or before March 20, 2003. Reply comments are due on or before April 14, 2003. A public hearing will take place on March 27, 2003, at 10 a.m. in Room LM-414, James Madison Memorial Building, First and Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington D.C. Notices of intent to participate in the public hearing should be faxed to (202) 252-3423 or emailed to wroberts@loc.gov by March 20 (read details).

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