House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.), Ranking Member John Conyers, Jr. (D-Mich.), and Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Howard Coble (R-N.C.) today announced the next round of hearings in the House Judiciary Committee's ongoing review of U.S. copyright law. The next round of hearings, which will be held over the coming months and into next year, will focus on digital business models, the scope of copyright protection (Section 102 and 106), the scope of fair use (Section 107), and the notice and takedown provisions (Section 512).
Opening Statements
Statement of Ranking Member Melvin L. Watt
House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet
for the Hearing on Innovation in America: The Role of Copyrights
July 25, 2013
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
And I want to again thank Chairman Goodlatte for launching this comprehensive review of U.S. copyright law and the challenges of the digital age.
I believe that this is a very important undertaking and that we have a unique opportunity to, not only advance the debate in this area, but to guide it in the right direction.
Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and Ranking Member John Conyers (D-Mich.), along with Representative Howard Coble (R-N.C.), chairman of the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee and Representative Mel Watt (D-N.C.), ranking member of the Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet Subcommittee, announced the introduction of legislation to restore consumers' ability to unlock their mobile phones, in order to switch from one wireless carrier to another. This bill also directs the U.S. Copyright Office to determine whether similar treatment should be given to other wireless devices.