DC Clothesline – by Dean Garrison
On July 18, 2019, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed S. 1273, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019 (CASE Act), legislation that will provide U.S. creators with a viable means for defending their copyrighted works through the creation of a small claims tribunal within the U.S. Copyright Office.
The bill was co-sponsored in the Senate by Sens. John Kennedy (R-LA), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI). Original House co-sponsors include: HJC Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and HJC IP Subcommittee Chairman Hank Johnson (D-GA), as well as Martha Roby (R-AL), Judy Chu (D-CA), Ben Cline (R-VA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).
The legislation creates a voluntary small claims board within the Copyright Office that will provide copyright owners with an alternative to the expensive process of bringing copyright claims, including infringement and misrepresentation under 512(f), in federal court. This new board, called the Copyright Claims Board (CCB), would allow recovery in each case of up to $30,000 in damages total, with a cap of $15,000 in statutory damages per work infringed.
Source: Copyright Alliance
Here we go America!
Whether you share an LOL cat or a picture of AOC trying to use a garbage disposal, it may not matter.
Read the rest here: https://www.dcclothesline.com/2019/07/25/media-blackout-if-senate-bill-1273-passes-you-could-be-fined-15000-for-sharing-memes-on-social-media/
“… would allow recovery in each case of up to $30,000 in damages total, with a cap of $15,000 in statutory damages per work infringed.”
It’s all about the Benjamammons.
I bet you that Higbee firm trying to screw Henry is salivating over this! And how does one define “social media”? Does “social media” include WordPress blogs, fictional novels, supposedly copyright-free photos from pexels that the photographer (thinking he or she can now scam off those who use their photos, copyright-free, on their books covers, for instance) suddenly decides to “claim” the copyright over? Now just anyone can become a copyright troll! Heck it might even be worth spending a hundred thou on law school! Bwahahaha!