Event summary

March 28, 2019

9:00 a.m. ET - 5:00 p.m. ET

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

600 Dulany Street

Madison Auditorium

Alexandria, VA 22314

Add to Calendar2019-03-28 09:00:002019-03-28 09:00:00Developing the Digital Marketplace for Copyrighted Works (Third Public Meeting) This meeting was organized by the Department of Commerce’s Internet Policy Task Force. It followed up on earlier public meetings held by the Task Force in April 2015, December 2016, and January 2018. Background In July 2013, the Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force, led by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), issued a green paper on Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in the Digital Economy. The green paper called for new public input on critical policy issues that are central to our nation's economic growth, cultural development, and job creation. It is intended to serve as a reference for stakeholders, a blueprint for further action, and as a contribution to global copyright debates. Chapter IV of the green paper, “Ensuring an Efficient Online Marketplace,” looked at then-current examples of digital licensing options, as well as challenges to their development and adoption. Such challenges included the complexity of licensing in the online environment, challenges with mapping old contracts to new uses, and licensing across borders. At the Third Public Meeting on March 28, 2019, representatives from different content industries (music, movies, news, text, visual arts) provided current industry perspectives. The U.S. Copyright Office discussed its modernization efforts, including efforts to incorporate standard identifiers into the registration system. Breakout sessions addressed voice recognition and blockchain technologies, and the role of the government in facilitating the digital marketplace. Panel discussions focused on identification for attribution purposes; optimizing registries to provide reliable, up-to-date information about rights and content ownership; and licensing and monetization of digital content. Topics covered included: Initiatives to advance the digital content marketplace, with a focus on standards, interoperability, and digital registries and database initiatives to track ownership and usage rights and facilitate licensing. Innovative technologies (such as blockchain, artificial intelligence) designed to improve the ways consumers access and use photos, film, music, text, and other types of digital content. Ways that different sectors can collaborate to promote a robust interconnected digital content marketplace. Members of the public had opportunities to participate at the meeting. In the previous public meetings, the Task Force heard from stakeholders that the government can play a useful role by facilitating dialogues between and among industry sectors. Based on this feedback, the Task Force organized this third meeting to build on the work of the prior meetings and continue to facilitate constructive, cross-industry dialogue among stakeholders about ways to promote a more robust and collaborative online marketplace for copyrighted works. Agenda View the agenda here. Morning session: Welcome Remarks — Shira Perlmutter, Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs, USPTO The Digital Marketplace: Industry Perspectives (Visual Arts, Music, Movies, Text, News) The Digital Marketplace: Technology Initiatives (Amazon Music, Dot Blockchain, Pex Attribution Engine) Identification (Presentations: Standards Overview, International Standard Name Identifier, Identifying Creators) Panel Discussion: The Age of Attribution (Music Reports, the New York Public Library, ISNI, County Analytics, Ltd.) Afternoon session: U.S. Copyright Office Modernization — Robert J. Kasunic, Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Registration Policy and Practice, U.S. Copyright Office Rights Management (Presentations: IPTC, Music 2025, Creator Credits) Panel Discussion: Registries and Rights Management (RightsTech Project, DDEX, Sincere Management, Associated Press) Panel Discussion: Licensing / Monetization (CrossBorderWorks, the Authors Guild, Jaxta, Dot Blockchain Media) Plenary Discussion/Breakout Session Readouts (Role of Government, Metadata, Blockchain Technology, Voice-Recognition Technology) Closing Remarks – John Morris, Associate Administrator and Director of Internet Policy, NTIA Transcript A transcript of the event is now available. Federal Register Notice Additional details about the meeting were in a Federal Register Notice published March 19, 2019. Additional information For non-press inquiries, please contact Susan Allen at the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs, 571-272-9300. U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 600 Dulany Street Madison Auditorium Alexandria, VA 22314 United States U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 600 Dulany Street Madison Auditorium Alexandria, VA 22314 United States U.S. Patent and Trademark OfficeAmerica/New_Yorkpublic

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Developing the Digital Marketplace for Copyrighted Works (Third Public Meeting)

This meeting was organized by the Department of Commerce’s Internet Policy Task Force. It followed up on earlier public meetings held by the Task Force in April 2015, December 2016, and January 2018.

Background

In July 2013, the Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force, led by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), issued a green paper on Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in the Digital Economy. The green paper called for new public input on critical policy issues that are central to our nation's economic growth, cultural development, and job creation. It is intended to serve as a reference for stakeholders, a blueprint for further action, and as a contribution to global copyright debates. Chapter IV of the green paper, “Ensuring an Efficient Online Marketplace,” looked at then-current examples of digital licensing options, as well as challenges to their development and adoption. Such challenges included the complexity of licensing in the online environment, challenges with mapping old contracts to new uses, and licensing across borders.

At the Third Public Meeting on March 28, 2019, representatives from different content industries (music, movies, news, text, visual arts) provided current industry perspectives. The U.S. Copyright Office discussed its modernization efforts, including efforts to incorporate standard identifiers into the registration system. Breakout sessions addressed voice recognition and blockchain technologies, and the role of the government in facilitating the digital marketplace. Panel discussions focused on identification for attribution purposes; optimizing registries to provide reliable, up-to-date information about rights and content ownership; and licensing and monetization of digital content.

Topics covered included:

Initiatives to advance the digital content marketplace, with a focus on standards, interoperability, and digital registries and database initiatives to track ownership and usage rights and facilitate licensing.
Innovative technologies (such as blockchain, artificial intelligence) designed to improve the ways consumers access and use photos, film, music, text, and other types of digital content.
Ways that different sectors can collaborate to promote a robust interconnected digital content marketplace.

Members of the public had opportunities to participate at the meeting. In the previous public meetings, the Task Force heard from stakeholders that the government can play a useful role by facilitating dialogues between and among industry sectors. Based on this feedback, the Task Force organized this third meeting to build on the work of the prior meetings and continue to facilitate constructive, cross-industry dialogue among stakeholders about ways to promote a more robust and collaborative online marketplace for copyrighted works.

Agenda

View the agenda here.

Morning session:
Welcome Remarks — Shira Perlmutter, Chief Policy Officer and Director for International Affairs, USPTO
The Digital Marketplace: Industry Perspectives (Visual Arts, Music, Movies, Text, News)
The Digital Marketplace: Technology Initiatives (Amazon Music, Dot Blockchain, Pex Attribution Engine)
Identification (Presentations: Standards Overview, International Standard Name Identifier, Identifying Creators)
Panel Discussion: The Age of Attribution (Music Reports, the New York Public Library, ISNI, County Analytics, Ltd.)

Afternoon session:
U.S. Copyright Office Modernization — Robert J. Kasunic, Associate Register of Copyrights and Director of Registration Policy and Practice, U.S. Copyright Office
Rights Management (Presentations: IPTC, Music 2025, Creator Credits)
Panel Discussion: Registries and Rights Management (RightsTech Project, DDEX, Sincere Management, Associated Press)
Panel Discussion: Licensing / Monetization (CrossBorderWorks, the Authors Guild, Jaxta, Dot Blockchain Media)
Plenary Discussion/Breakout Session Readouts (Role of Government, Metadata, Blockchain Technology, Voice-Recognition Technology)
Closing Remarks – John Morris, Associate Administrator and Director of Internet Policy, NTIA

Transcript

A transcript of the event is now available.

Federal Register Notice

Additional details about the meeting were in a Federal Register Notice published March 19, 2019.

Additional information

For non-press inquiries, please contact Susan Allen at the USPTO’s Office of Policy and International Affairs, 571-272-9300.