Description:
H.R. 2426 would establish the Copyright Claims Board (CCB) within the Copyright Office as a forum for parties to voluntarily resolve small copyright claims. Under the bill, the Library of Congress would appoint three copyright claims officers, in consultation with the Copyright Office, to manage CCB proceedings and to make judgements on copyright claims, counterclaims, and defenses. H.R. 2426 would require the Copyright Office to hire at least two copyright claims attorneys and administrative support staff to assist those officers, and to obtain necessary equipment and facilities. Finally, the Copyright Office would need to conduct a study on the use and efficacy of the CCB and report their findings to the Congress. Using information from the Copyright Office, CBO estimates that in total implementing H.R. 2426 would cost $10 million over the 2019-2024 period, assuming appropriation of the estimated amounts. CBO estimates that in 2020, the Copyright Office would spend less than $500,000 to issue rules to establish the CCB. In 2021, CBO estimates that the Copyright Office would spend about $2 million on one-time costs such as a hearing room, computers, and teleconferencing equipment. Salaries and other reoccurring costs such as printing, postage, and maintaining the case management system maintenance would cost $2 million a year over the 2021-2024 period, CBO estimates. H.R. 2426 would establish two new filing fees that certain claimants would pay to access CCB services; those fees would be credited to the Copyright Office’s appropriation account
