WASHINGTON D.C. - Current efforts to rewrite copyright law and plans for further legislation in the 110 th Congress will be the focus of the latest Congressional Seminar by The Progress & Freedom Foundation, “Copyright ‘Modernization’: What is the Agenda on Capitol Hill?” The October 20 th event will feature a bipartisan panel of senior Capitol Hill staff dealing with copyright legislation.

The 109 th Congress has brought us legislation on orphan works, statutory reforms of both Sections 114 and 115 of the Copyright Act, an audio flag, a proposed solution to the analog hole, and more. Legislation has drawn the interest of various industries including content, consumer electronics, broadcasters, digital media providers, Internet service providers, music publishers, and coalitions of performing artists and songwriters. It remains possible that one or more pieces of copyright legislation will become law during the upcoming lame-duck session of Congress, but it’s very likely that copyright legislation not addressed this year will be queued up for quick consideration next spring in the new Congress.

What will be Capitol Hill’s priorities regarding copyright legislation next year? What impact might a change in party leadership in the House and/or Senate mean for such legislation? What are the most pressing aspects of copyright law that need to be addressed? These topics will be debated by an all-star panel of senior Hill staff, including Joe Keeley, counsel to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property, and David Jones, counsel for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property. Other Hill participants will be named shortly. The panel will be moderated by PFF’s Patrick Ross, senior fellow and vice president of communications and external affairs.

"Copyright ‘Modernization': What is the Agenda on Capitol Hill?" runs from noon to 2 pm on Friday, October 20 th in Room B-354 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Lunch will be served. Those wishing to attend can register online. General questions can be addressed to Eileen Goulding at 202-289-8928 or egoulding@pff.org. Media enquiries can be addressed to Amy Smorodin at 202-289-8928 or asmorodin@pff.org.

The Progress & Freedom Foundation is a market-oriented think tank that studies the digital revolution and its implications for public policy. It is a 501(c)(3) research & educational organization.