US Register of Copyrights removed

[fjtorres]

From Billboard:

http://www.billboard.com/articles/bu...-of-copyrights

U.S. Register of Copyrights Maria Pallante was removed from her job Friday morning (Oct. 21) by the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, who has authority over the Copyright Office. Officially, Pallante has been appointed as a senior adviser for digital strategy for the Library of Congress, although it’s clear she was asked to step down. Karyn Temple Claggett, currently associate register of copyrights, has been appointed the acting register.

Pallante was locked out of the Library of Congress computer system this morning, according to two sources who spoke with Library employees. Earlier, Hayden had called several members of Congress to tell them about her decision. Later, she called the heads of several media business trade organizations to give them the news, according to one who received such a call.

The Authors Guild isn't happy:

Maria Pallante, the Register of Copyrights and Director of the United States Copyright Office, submitted her resignation today, after being abruptly removed and transferred from office last Friday by Dr. Carla Hayden, the new Librarian of Congress, who was sworn in just weeks ago. According to a statement issued by the Library of Congress, Hayden transferred Pallante to a newly created non-managerial position within the Library, Senior Advisor for Digital Strategy. Karyn Temple Claggett, an Associate Register, was appointed Acting Register of Copyrights, effective immediately.

We are disappointed to see Pallante go. She was a devoted leader of the Copyright Office, launching several major initiatives—including a full review of the Copyright Act to bring it into the 21st Century, and the modernization of the Copyright Office to better serve the evolving needs of digital-era Copyright Office constituents—initiatives that took great vision and courage. She also oversaw a full review of and set of recommendations for bringing the Office’s technology into the 21st Century; she shored up copyright registration practices and created a comprehensive online guide to registration and recordation—the 2014 Compendium of U.S. Copyright Office Practices, Third Edition—which was the first wholesale revision of the Compendium in 30 years.

Some are blaming google:

https://artistrightswatch.com/2016/1...yright-office/

In a typically backstabbing lame duck kabuki dance, Google has fired Maria Pallante, the head of the U.S. Copyright Office. This is a real tragedy because Register Pallante was even handed and concerned about treating everyone involved with copyright fairly–consumers as well as creators, not to mention cooperating with Google and Amazon in permitting the filing of millions of NOIs to the great detriment of songwriters.

It is hard to believe that the nominal head of the Library of Congress would fire Register Pallante without top cover from the White House–of course, that’s a little odd since the Copyright Office is in the Library of Congress.

Others think this might bring change on ebook DRM policies:

https://teleread.org/2016/10/24/copy...-other-issues/

With Maria Pallante gone from the copyright office, might it be more inclined to grant ebook-lovers an exemption from the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to let them legally crack DRM for noninfringing purposes? Especially since proprietary DRM steals away the right to own books for real and modify them so they’re more readable? Not to mention locking readers into certain retailers and vendors and reinforcing Amazon’s dominance of the ebook scene? Or hurting books in the struggle against other media, by making them more difficult to buy, own and enjoy than with no DRM or with watermarking?

Hard to say, about that hoped-for exemption. I myself am not in the least an agent of Google. Rather, along with many a librarian, I see reasons aplenty for applying the doctrine of fair use to the exemption issue and others.

Of course, I won’t bet the farm on things necessarily changing at the copyright office. The new acting register of copyrights is Karyn Temple Claggett, formerly the vice president for litigation and legal affairs for the Recording Industry Association of America. Who knows, however, what the outcome of this will be?

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20...t-reform.shtml

There are all sorts of rumors flying about this. Pallante has, apparently, been advocating strongly for moving the Copyright Office out of the Library of Congress, and either making it an independent agency or linking it up with the Patent & Trademark Office under the Commerce Department. That would be a big mistake, frankly, because copyright is not supposed to be about "commerce" and "industry" but about benefiting the public. That's why it makes sense to leave it as part of the Library of Congress.

Still, when Hayden was first announced, basically all of the copyright maximalist front groups put out statements vaguely suggesting that they'd support Hayden if she promises to leave the Copyright Office alone. It would appear that Hayden has decided not to take that advice.

More at the sources.

Things have been quiet lately.
A new catfight might offer a change of pace.

[tubemonkey]

The new acting register of copyrights is Karyn Temple Claggett, formerly the vice president for litigation and legal affairs for the Recording Industry Association of America.

kinda like the fox guarding the henhouse

[Ravensknight]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

kinda like the fox guarding the henhouse

My thoughts exactly...

[pwalker8]

Kind of sounds like she lost a turf battle. Happens in the corporate world all the time.

A common sense exception to DMCA for format shifting of material you bought would be nice, though really it would simply codify the existing practices. Amending the DMCA to encode that into law would be even better. I wouldn't hold my breath over either happening though.