In the last 24 hours I received an email regarding a curious thing. It was urging me to contact my senators to block a bill, called the "Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act". I'll include this text of the email:
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Copyright has a huge effect on our daily lives, often controlling access to movies, books, music, and art. That, in turn, has an effect on our digital devices, which display, play, and help create copyrighted material constantly. Copyright is also inextricable from free speech, as it can be used as a tool to silence criticism. It’s important that the person in charge of the Copyright Office be apolitical.
Congress is considering a bill—the Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act—which would make the Register of Copyrights a presidential appointee. In August, proponents of the bill stated in a hearing that this is a good idea because the process of a presidential nomination and confirmation is more neutral and fair then hiring a long-serving public servant for the job.
This isn’t true. An appointee will be more beholden to the political beliefs of the President, not less. And who is appointed by the President is more easily influenced by big media and entertainment companies who view copyright as being all about their rights to own things and not our rights to speech, create, or use our devices. The Copyright Office, if deployed to carry out a political agenda, can do great harm to how we use the Internet today.
This bill has already passed the House, and it is scheduled for a Senate committee vote on Tuesday, December 4. If it passes out of committee, we will have only a few days left to stop it before Congress adjourns for the year. Tell your Senators to not make the Register of Copyrights a presidential pawn. Tell them to vote "no" on the Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act.
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I've found a link to some details on this bill. https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1695
I think we should do exactly the opposite of what the email asks.
To think that this important position is not already "politicized" is stupid.
And to think that by keeping it under the control of the Librarian of Congress somehow insulates it from "politicization" is ridiculous. As of now, the process of filling this position is being done out of sight of the public, and without any responsibility to the public either.
The process should be "political" to introduce accountability.
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[–] Tallest_Skil 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago (edited ago)
Repeal all copyright law. Replace with "30 years, maximum."
Also fix fair use.