House passes CASE Act

Statement

The House of Representatives today passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement (CASE) Act (H.R. 2426), introduced by Reps. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee, and Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. The CASE Act would create a small claims board in the U.S. Copyright Office where creators can have their copyright disputes adjudicated.

"Our founding fathers wanted to protect the intellectual property of all Americans, but, today, our copyright system fails small creators. The passage of the CASE Act addresses this failure because the bill would create an easier and more affordable way for small creators to address the theft of their work. I appreciate the leadership of Congressman Jeffries in introducing the CASE Act, and I encourage all of my colleagues in the Senate to take up and pass this bill," said Collins.

"The establishment of the Copyright Claims Board is critical for the creative middle class who deserve to benefit from the fruits of their labor. Copyright enforcement is essential to ensure that these artists, writers, musicians and other creators are able to commercialize their creative work in order to earn a livelihood. The CASE Act will enable creators to enforce copyright protected content in a fair, timely and affordable manner. This legislation is a strong step in the right direction," said Jeffries.

Additional background on the CASE Act:

-The CASE Act would create the Copyright Claims Board at the Copyright Office. The board would be made up of subject matter experts who would hear and rule on these small claims cases.
-The CASE Act would cap statutory damages at $15,000 per claim (a mere 10% of what a plaintiff could be awarded in district court) and total damages at $30,000 per case.
-The CASE Act would allow proceedings to be undertaken over the phone and online, without an attorney.
-The CASE Act has garnered endorsements from more than 20 private groups, including the American Bar Association, American Association of Independent Music, American Conservative Union, AFL-CIO, American Intellectual Property Law Association, Copyright Alliance, NAACP, News Media Alliance and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

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