If asked, many of us would easily be able to identify our favorite song or tune, and often to even quote verbatim (e.g., sing embarrassingly off-key) the actual bridge, melody, or lyrics that made that song so special. Whether it is the way a song made us laugh or reflected our innermost desires and fears, …
The following is a guest post by Regan A. Smith, General Counsel and Associate Register of Copyrights. “When modes of music change, the fundamental laws of the state always change with them.” Plato, the Republic Book IV (Jowett tr.) Following unanimous votes in the House of Representatives and the Senate, today the President signed the …
The following is a guest post by Ryan Kwock, summer law clerk in the Office of Policy and International Affairs This summer, I had the pleasure of serving as a law clerk in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Copyright Office. In addition to working on challenging domestic and international copyright …
The following is a guest post by Jason E. Sloan, attorney advisor, Office of General Counsel. Last Wednesday, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the Music Modernization Act (H.R. 5447) by an impressive vote of 415 to 0. Why is this important? Because if the bill is passed by the Senate and enacted into law, …