Small claims court for copyright infringement?

[quincy]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? All states.

On Monday, September 30, the U.S. Copyright Office published the results of their study on establishing a small claims system to handle copyright infringement suits.

The establishment of such a system would allow the author of a registered, infringed work to file a claim against an infringer in a small claims court. Under the current system, economic damages are often not high enough to justify taking legal action.

The report of the Register of Copyrights, with recommendations, can be accessed at http://www.copyright.gov/docs/smallclaims.

 

[TigerD]

Thanks Q. I'll take another look after the shutdown. They turned off the website too.

DC

 

[quincy]

Thanks Q. I'll take another look after the shutdown. They turned off the website too.

DC

Ah, yes. That pesky government shutdown. I bet the Representatives didn't realize that the Copyright Office website would be affected by their inaction.

 

[TigerD]

Ah, yes. That pesky government shutdown. I bet the Representatives didn't realize that the Copyright Office website would be affected by their inaction.

It wasn't. The administration is intentionally trying to make the shutdown hurt. The next group of veterans going to DC may not settle for re-opening access to their monument.

DC

 

[quincy]

It wasn't. The administration is intentionally trying to make the shutdown hurt. The next group of veterans going to DC may not settle for re-opening access to their monument.

DC

I sense we sit on opposite sides of the aisle, DC.

Making small claims actions available for copyright infringement suits was an idea proposed back in 2006 and it has been studied since that time. If created, these small claims courts would provide "small time" copyright holders with a reasonable way to seek compensation for the infringement of their works.

Currently, there are many copyrighted works that do not have high-dollar values, and the copyright holders do not have sales resulting in profits or losses enough that pursuing legal action against the infringers is financially worthwhile. Having small claims actions available to copyright holders could better protect the rights of these copyright-holders and could hopefully prevent the very real problem of infringers who profit off these (perhaps) minor, but creative and original, works.

 

[TigerD]

I sense we sit on opposite sides of the aisle, DC.

Perhaps. But I bet we could work out issues of national importance without all that silliness.

DC