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Commerce Announces Inquiry on Copyright Policy in the Internet Economy

The Patent and Trademark Office and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration announce that the Commerce Department's Internet Policy Task Force is conducting an inquiry on copyright policy, creativity and innovation in the Internet Economy. Comments are due by November 19, 2010.

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According to these agencies, the prevalence of online copyright infringement is the primary motivation for the Task Force to seek an updated understanding of stakeholders’ experiences and to learn more about voluntary, cooperative efforts to address online infringement. The broader goal is to gain greater insight into the opportunities and challenges for innovation in the creative content sector of the Internet economy.

These agencies add that copyright infringement of works online remains a persistent and significant problem. Estimates of economic losses caused by online infringement to rights holders, the copyright industries, and the U.S. economy as a whole vary based on methodologies and assumptions used in such estimates, but are nonetheless substantial.