Copyright Office Initiates Software-Enabled Consumer Products Study and Requests Public Comments
Issue No. 604 - December 15, 2015
In response to a request from Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Leahy of the Senate Judiciary Committee, the U.S. Copyright Office is undertaking a study to review the role of copyrighted software in everyday products. To aid this effort, the Office is soliciting written comments from the public on what provisions of the copyright law are implicated by the ubiquity of software in everyday products, and the effect of copyright law on technological advancements in such products, including specific subjects of inquiry set forth in a notice published in the Federal Register. This is a highly specific study not intended to examine or address more general questions about software and copyright protection. The Federal Register notice is available here.
Written comments must be received no later than February 16, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Written reply comments must be received no later than March 18, 2016, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Specific instructions for submitting comments will be posted on the Copyright Office website on or before February 1, 2016. The Office will be announcing one or more public meetings, to take place after written comments are received, by separate notice in the future.