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January 20, 2021

CASE Act Update

December 27th marks the day that America’s creators achieved a long-sought goal: the creation of a new small claims process. So what now?

The US Copyright Office (USCO) is now tasked with enacting this small claims tribunal over the next year to year and a half. Originally, the CASE Act was supposed to be implemented one year after passage, but in the drafting process, an amendment was added allowing the USCO to request a 180-day extension.

It is now the responsibility of trade associations like PPA to work with the USCO to implement an easy-to-access, fair, and limited-in-scope small claims process; this is a goal we have worked for over 14 years to obtain.

It’s safe to say that by June 27, 2022, the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act will be in full effect. The earliest it could be implemented is by December 27, 2021. We will keep you up-to-date with any new developments.

In the meantime, it is still vitally important that you protect your copyright. The small claims process isn’t here yet, and even when it is, bad actors may still attempt to steal your work. Check out our Copyright Kit for information on how to protect your copyright.

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