[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 175 (Monday, September 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-22567]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: September 12, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Patent and Trademark Office

 

Conference on ``Fair Use'' and the National Information 
Infrastructure (NII)

AGENCY: Patent and Trademark Office, Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of first meeting of conference.

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SUMMARY: The Working Group on Intellectual Property Rights of the White 
House Infrastructure Task Force (IITF) issued a preliminary draft of 
its report, ``Intellectual Property and the National Information 
Infrastructure,'' on July 7, 1994. Copies of the report may be obtained 
by calling the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at (703) 305-9300 or by 
sending a written request to the Commissioner of Patents and 
Trademarks, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Box 4, Washington, D.C. 
20231, marked to the attention of Terri A. Southwick, Office of 
Legislative and International Affairs.

    The preliminary draft, on page 134, stated that the Working Group 
would sponsor a conference to bring together copyright owner and user 
interests to develop guidelines for fair uses of copyrighted works by 
and in public libraries and schools. The draft further stated that 
anyone who wished to participate in the conference should request to do 
so by sending a request to Terri A. Southwick. The participants have 
been chosen and notified. Every effort was made to ensure that a wide 
diversity of opinion will be represented at the conference. Roughly 
equal numbers of participants were chosen from owners of copyrights, 
educators and librarians. Those who requested to participate but could 
not be accommodated due to the large number of requests are invited to 
attend this and all subsequent meetings. There will be an opportunity 
for those not chosen to participate to make or submit comments and 
questions. All meetings will be open to the public.

DATES: The first session of the conference will be held in Washington, 
D.C. on September 21, 1994. It will begin at 12:30 and last until 5:00.

ADDRESSES: The conference will be held at the Department of Commerce 
Auditorium, Department of Commerce, 14th Street & Pennsylvania Avenue, 
N.W., Washington, D.C.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Chris Meyer or Michael O'Neil, Office 
of Legislative and International Affairs, U.S. Patent and Trademark 
Office, Box 4, Washington, D.C. 20231. Telephone: (703) 305-9300; Fax: 
(703) 305-8885.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Working Group on Intellectual Property 
Rights, chaired by Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Commissioner of 
Patents and Trademarks Bruce A. Lehman, was established as part of the 
White house Information Infrastructure Task Force. The Task Force, 
chaired by Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown, was created to work 
with Congress and the private sector to develop comprehensive 
telecommunications and information policies aimed at articulating and 
implementing the Administration's vision for the National Information 
Infrastructure (NII).
    ``Intellectual Property and the National Information 
Infrastructure; A Preliminary Draft of the Report of the Working Group 
on Intellectual Property Rights'' represents the Working Group's 
examination and analysis to date of the intellectual property 
implications of the NII, and includes the Group's draft findings and 
recommendations.
    The Working Group's concerns about the role of fair use in the NII 
environment were expressed in the preliminary draft. Guidelines for 
library and educational use of printed matter and music that were 
voluntarily adopted by diverse parties and set out in the house and 
Conference reports accompanying the 1976 Copyright Act appear not to 
apply to the NII environment and thus to require modification or 
elaboration to deal with digital works and on-line services. The 
initial meeting on September 21, 1994, will establish the structure 
through which such modifications or elaborations may be achieved.
    The Working Group solicited written comments from the public on the 
preliminary report in a notice published at 59 FR 35912 on July 14, 
1994 and gave notice of hearings on the preliminary report in a notice 
published at 59 FR 42819 on August 19, 1994. The hearings are being 
held in Chicago, on September 14, 1994 in Los Angeles on September 16, 
1994 and in Washington on September 22 and 23, 1994. The written 
comments received, the testimony given at the hearings, and any 
guidelines or recommendations agreed to by the participants of the 
``Fair Use'' conference will be considered by the Working Group in the 
Final Report.

    Dated: September 7, 1994.
Michael K. Kirk,
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Commissioner of 
Patents and Trademarks.
[FR Doc. 94-22567 Filed 9-9-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-16-M