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U.S. House Passes Copyright Term Extension 

Of enormous potential consequence to our users and our libraries.  I've
left in only section 2 of this longer report, the section that pertains to
the term extension as passed by the House.

Ann
___________

Forwarded message:
Date:         Fri, 27 Mar 1998 13:27:13 -0500
Sender: H-Net Distribution List for NCC Reports <H-NCC@h-net.msu.edu>
From: Page Miller <pagem@CapAccess.org>
Subject:      NCC Washington Update, Vol 4, #11, March 27, 1998 (fwd)

NCC Washington Update, vol. 4, #11, March 27, 1998
   by Page Putnam Miller, Director of the National Coordinating
      Committee for the Promotion of History <pagem@capaccess.org>

1.  National Archives Decides to Keep Contested
         Okinawa Film
2.  House Passes Copyright Term Extension Legislation
3.  Senate Governmental Affairs Committee Holds
        Hearing on Declassification Legislation

[SNIP]

2.  House Passes Copyright Term Extension Legislation -- On March 25 the
House passed by voice vote H.R.2589, a bill to extend the length of
copyright protection by 20 years both for new and currently published and
copyrighted works.  The Society of American Archivists opposed this
legislation last fall.  On March 23 the five major library organizations
wrote to all members of the House opposing the legislation, pointing out
that the section which includes an exemption for libraries and archives
for legitimate use would not, as it is currently worded, have the intended
practical benefit.  The House did not include in this bill a provision
that would extend for 10 years beyond 2002 the copyright of material
created but not published before 1978, a provision that had been opposed
by historians that was in the bill introduced in the last Congress. 

There has been enormous pressure on the Congress by the powerful
movie and recording industries to extend U.S. copyright by 20 years to
conform to that of European countries.  Many observers have felt that
while there is little chance of defeating the bill, efforts need to be
made to improve it.  Indications are that the Senate does not intend to
take up copyright extension legislation until after it has dealt with
on-line provider liability legislation and legislation to implement the
treaties passed in 1996 by the World Intellectual Property Organization.

[SNIP]

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