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2017 Copyright Small Claims in Review
As we come to the end of another fantastic year, a lot has happened in the world of Small Claims. And what better time to look back and see all the progress we have made!
December 2016: Representative Judy Chu and Representative Lamar Smith introduced a Copyright Small Claims bill. This was done on the last day of the Congressional session to send a message to fellow Representatives that this was something in works. It also gave many Representatives the ability to review what a Copyright Small Claims Process would entail and familiarize themselves with the issue.
January to March of 2017: With the new administration coming in, Small Claims had to be put on the back burner. However, during this time PPA continued to make rounds on Capitol Hill. PPA set up approximately 15 meetings with key members of the House Judiciary to ensure the importance of Small Claims was ever present, and explain where things were in the process.
March to August 2017: During these months, the most crucial work was being done. Not only was PPA continuously meeting with members of Congress about Copyright Small Claims, but also working on key provisions that would continue to protect photographers and creative artists alike. During this time is when Representative Judy Chu, Representative Lamar Smith, Representative Jeffries, and Representative Marino, all began working on the possibility of having one Small Claims bill. As a reminder, last Congressional Session Representative Chu and Smith introduced their own version of the bill, and Representative Jeffries and Representative Marino introduced their own versions. When comparing the two bills, they had plenty of similarities, thus paving the way for collaboration upon introduction.
October 2017: Copyright Alternative in Small Claims Enforcement Act of 2017 (CASE Act) was introduced as H.R. 3495. This bill was introduced by Representative Jefferies and Representative Marino, and immediately co-sponsored by Representative Collins, Representative Chu, Representative Smith, and Representative Lieu.
November to December 2017: Now that we have a bill, in order to ensure that it can makes its way through the House and on to the Senate, it is imperative to gain as many co-sponsors as possible. During these months, PPA met with 20+ Representatives to highlight the importance of Small Claims, making sure it stayed on their radar.
We still have a long way to go to make sure that we can get a Copyright Small Claims bill passed, and this will not and cannot happen without you! Stay tuned on what is coming up and join the fight for artists rights and make your voice heard! Send a letter to your Representative at PPA.com/SmallClaims.