[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 11, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13644-13645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-05159]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Patent and Trademark Office

National Telecommunications and Information Administration


Notice of First Public Meeting on the Establishment of a 
Multistakeholder Forum on Improving the Operation of the Notice and 
Takedown System Under the DMCA (as Called for in the Department of 
Commerce Green Paper, Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in 
the Digital Economy)

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce; United 
States Patent and Trademark Office, U.S. Department of Commerce; 
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. 
Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: In the Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force 
(Task Force) Green Paper on Copyright Policy, Creativity, and 
Innovation in the Digital Economy (Green Paper), released on July 31, 
2013, the Task Force stated its intention to establish a 
multistakeholder forum aimed at improving the operation of the notice 
and takedown system for removing infringing content from the Internet 
under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). In accordance with 
its previous recommendations and announcements, the Task Force will 
launch the multistakeholder forum with an initial meeting on March 20, 
2014.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on March 20, 2014, from 9:00 
a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time.

ADDRESSES: The Task Force will hold the initial public meeting of the 
multistakeholder forum at the United States Patent and Trademark Office 
in the Madison Auditorium on the concourse level of the Madison 
Building, which is located at 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314. 
All major entrances to the building are accessible to people with 
disabilities.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding the 
meeting, contact Hollis Robinson or Darren Pogoda, Office of Policy and 
International Affairs, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 
Madison Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone 
(571) 272-9300; email [email protected] or 
[email protected].
    Please direct all media inquiries to the Office of the Chief 
Communications Officer, USPTO, at (571) 272-8400.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    In the Department of Commerce's Internet Policy Task Force (Task 
Force) Green Paper on Copyright Policy, Creativity, and Innovation in 
the Digital Economy (Green Paper), released on July 31, 2013, and in a 
subsequent request for public comments (issued on October 3, 2013), the 
Task Force stated its intention to establish an open multistakeholder 
forum aimed at improving the operation of the notice and takedown 
system for removing infringing content from the Internet under the 
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). See Request for Public 
Comments and Notice of Public Meeting, 78 FR 61337 (Oct. 3, 2013), 
available at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/files/ntia/publications/ntia_pto_rfc_10032013.pdf.
    On December 12, 2013, the Task Force held a public meeting to 
discuss the

[[Page 13645]]

Green Paper, including the proposed open multistakeholder forum. The 
Task Force also sought comment from stakeholders both prior to and 
after the December 12, 2013 meeting. An archive of the webcast of the 
public meeting is available at http://new.livestream.com/uspto/copyright. A transcript of the public meeting is available at http://www.uspto.gov/ip/global/copyrights/121213-USPTO-Green_Paper_Hearing-Transcript.pdf. Copies of the comments received are available at http://www.uspto.gov/ip/global/copyrights/green_paper_public_comments.jsp.
    The goal of the open multistakeholder forum is to provide a 
collaborative forum through which stakeholders will identify best 
practices and/or produce voluntary agreements for improving the 
operation of the DMCA notice and takedown system.
    The initial meeting will focus on identifying discrete topics to be 
addressed through the multistakeholder forum. We also intend to discuss 
and make decisions about the process for the forum's ongoing work. The 
Task Force wants to ensure participation by a wide variety of the 
notice and takedown system's current users, including right holders and 
individual creators, service providers, and any other stakeholders that 
are directly affected--such as consumer and public interest 
representatives, technical and engineering experts, and companies in 
the business of identifying infringing content. The Department's role 
in the open multistakeholder process will be to provide a forum for 
discussion and consensus-building among stakeholders. Stakeholder 
groups convened for this process will not be advisory committees to the 
government, as neither the Department of Commerce nor any other Federal 
agency or office will seek advice or recommendations on policy issues 
from participants. Subsequent meetings will take place approximately 
every six weeks, alternating between the USPTO main campus and Silicon 
Valley, at a location to be announced. These meetings will be webcast.

Future Roundtable Discussions

    The Department of Commerce will also be hosting roundtable 
discussions on three additional issues identified in the Green Paper--
remixes, first sale, and statutory damages--in several cities over the 
next few months. Further details will be announced in an upcoming 
Federal Register notice, on the USPTO and Task Force Web sites, and 
through the USPTO's Copyright Alerts subscription, which can be found 
at enews.uspto.gov.

Public Meeting

    On March 20, 2014, the Task Force will hold an initial public 
meeting of this multistakeholder forum aimed at improving the operation 
of the notice and takedown system for removing infringing content from 
the Internet under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
    The meeting will be webcast. The agenda and webcast information 
will be available on the Internet Policy Task Force Web site, http://www.ntia.doc.gov/internetpolicytaskforce and the USPTO's Web site, 
http://www.uspto.gov/ip/global/copyrights/index.jsp.
    The meeting will be open to members of the public to attend, space 
permitting, on a first-come, first-served basis. Members of the public 
can RSVP at http://events.Signup4.com/copyrightgreenpaper. The meeting 
will be physically accessible to people with disabilities. Individuals 
requiring accommodation, such as sign language interpretation, real-
time captioning of the webcast or other ancillary aids, should 
communicate their needs to Hollis Robinson, Office of Policy and 
International Affairs, United States Patent and Trademark Office, 
Madison Building, 600 Dulany Street, Alexandria, VA 22314; telephone 
(571) 272-9300; email [email protected] at least seven (7) 
business days prior to the meeting. Attendees should arrive at least 
one-half hour prior to the start of the meeting, and must present valid 
government-issued photo identification upon arrival.

    Dated: March 5, 2014.
Michelle K. Lee,
Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy 
Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Lawrence E. Strickling,
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information.
[FR Doc. 2014-05159 Filed 3-10-14; 8:45 am]
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