REDWOOD SHORES, Calif., March 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Oracle commends Chairmen Grassley and Goodlatte, Ranking Members Feinstein and Conyers, and Senator Leahy on the introduction of the Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act. Making the head of the Copyright Office a Presidential appointee, subject to advice and consent of the Senate, is an important first step in a series of needed reforms that will empower the Copyright Office to better serve the public interest and meet the Constitutional mandate to 'promote the progress of science and useful arts.'
Creative industries that rely on copyright protection—including the software industry—contribute $1.1 trillion to the U.S. GDP and support 5.5 million U.S. jobs. Oracle invests nearly $6 billion annually in software R&D and employs 35,000 developers. Copyright plays a critical role in protecting the innovation that flows from these substantial investments. Indeed, robust copyright protection is particularly important in today's digital economy, where unauthorized copying of creative works is often trivially easy.
A strong and effective Copyright Office needs independent and highly qualified leadership. As Senators Grassley, Feinstein and Leahy and Congressmen Goodlatte and Conyers have noted, elevating the Register of Copyrights to a Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation will ensure that all stakeholders have an opportunity to provide input into the selection of future Registers of Copyright through their elected officials. This selection process will be both more transparent and more rigorous. Elevating the Register will also place the position on equal footing with other senior government officials responsible for developing and administering the nation's intellectual property, competition, and trade laws and policies. The change will raise the profile of the Copyright Office within the U.S. government and abroad, reflecting the significant and expanding role that U.S. copyright plays in the American and global economies.
Oracle strongly supports the Register of Copyrights Selection and Accountability Act and urges its rapid adoption. We look forward to working with Chairmen Grassley and Goodlatte, Ranking Members Feinstein and Conyers, Senator Leahy, and other members of the Judiciary Committees to move this bill forward and to take additional steps to adopt other important Copyright Office reforms outlined in the House Judiciary Committee's December 8, 2016 policy proposal. Together, these reforms will provide the operational independence, stable funding, and modern IT infrastructure that the Copyright Office needs to meet the demands of the 21st century economy," said Dorian Daley, executive vice president, general counsel and secretary, Oracle.
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SOURCE Oracle