New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ U.S. Copyright Office) The Copyright Office will host a roundtable on copyright protection for pre-1972 sound recordings on June 2, 2011, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. It is possible that the roundtable will continue on a second day, June 3. The roundtable will be conducted to assist the Copyright Office in its study for Congress on the desirability and means of bringing sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, under federal jurisdiction. Further details on the roundtable will be announced early in May. The Office has already received initial comments in connection with the study, and reply comments are due April 13. Background Congress has directed the U.S. Copyright Office to conduct a study on the desirability and means of bringing sound recordings fixed before February 15, 1972, under federal jurisdiction. The study is to cover the effect of federal coverage on the preservation of such sound recordings, the effect on public access to those recordings, and the economic impact of federal coverage on rights holders. The study is also to examine the means for accomplishing such coverage. Currently, pre-1972 sound recordings are protected under a patchwork of state statutory and common laws from their date of creation until 2067 (2047 in California). While their underlying works, either musical or literary, are subject to federal copyright protection, the sound recordings themselves are not. The Copyright Office is launching its study by publishing a notice of inquiry in the Federal Register, requesting written comments from all interested parties regarding federal coverage of pre-1972 sound recordings. Specifically, the Office seeks comments on the likely effect of federal protection upon preservation and public access, and the effect upon the economic interests of rights holders. The Office also seeks comments on how the incorporation of pre-1972 sound recordings into federal law might best be achieved.
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