Virginia Universities' Librarians Caution Goodlatte on CO Section 108 Revamp Recommendation

The leaders of five Virginia universities’ libraries urged House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., to proceed with caution in evaluating the Copyright Office’s anticipated legislative recommendation on a digital-age revamp of Copyright Act Section 108, which includes an exemption allowing libraries and archives to reproduce and distribute copyrighted works. The CO told stakeholders in meetings earlier this summer that it plans to proceed with the rewrite recommendation (see 1608100054). The suggestion “may not be the best approach for seeking consensus, which has proved elusive over the past decade,” the Virginia university libraries wrote Tuesday. “While Section 108 may show its age in some ways, it adequately protects core library activities like preservation and interlibrary loan, and includes enough flexibility to accommodate digital innovation, especially in combination with Section 107, the fair use doctrine.” Signatories were College of William & Mary Dean-University Libraries Carrie Lynn Cooper, Virginia Commonwealth University Librarian John Ulmschneider, University of Virginia Librarian John Unsworth, Virginia Tech Dean-University Libraries Tyler Walters and George Mason University Librarian John Zenelis.