US Seeks Comments on Internet Access and Copyright

The Internet Policy Task Force of the United States Commerce Department today issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking comment from any interested stakeholders – including rights holders, internet service providers, and consumers – on the “protection of copyrighted works online and the relationship between copyright law and innovation in the internet economy.”

Federal Register notice is here [pdf].

The Commerce Department announcement threads the needle in the debate over whether copyright is choking or promoting innovation, stating that the task force “leads effort to keep internet open for innovation.”

According to the release, the Commerce initiative on “copyright policy, creativity and innovation in the internet economy” is looking for policies that will:

“1) Generate benefits for rights holders of creative works accessible online and make recommendations with respect to those who infringe on those rights;

2) Enable the robust and free flow of information to facilitate innovation and growth of the Internet economy; and

3) Ensure transparency and due process in cooperative efforts to build confidence in the Internet as a means of distributing copyrighted works.”