Congress Just Rushed Through a Disastrous Copyright Office Overhaul

6 hours ago

H.R. 6028, the 'Legislative Branch Agencies Clarification Act,' passed by the House via voice vote, would remove the Library of Congress's supervisory role over the Copyright Office and make the Register of Copyrights a presidential appointee confirmed by the Senate.
The bill is criticized for making the Copyright Office more political and consolidating power, such as transferring DMCA Section 1201 rulemaking authority from the Librarian of Congress to the Register, potentially prioritizing industry interests over public ones.
Critics argue the Copyright Office has not been neutral, citing its support for SOPA and a flawed report on AI that undervalued fair use, and that severing ties with the Library of Congress weakens public-interest oversight in copyright debates.
The legislation was rushed without hearings or public scrutiny, despite warnings from EFF and other groups about its impact on speech rights, education, and creative freedoms, and the Senate is urged to reject it to keep the Copyright Office focused on serving the public.

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