The American Library Association and the Association of Research Libraries are among the organizations to join a new coalition dedicated to promoting "balanced" copyright laws in the United States. Dubbed “Re:Create” the group aims to ensure that copyright laws are “clear, simple and transparent, while also fostering innovation, creativity, education and economic growth.”
Members also include the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Center for Democracy & Technology, the Computer and Communications Industry Association, Consumer Electronics Association, Media Democracy Fund, New America’s Open Technology Institute, Public Knowledge, and R Street Institute.
In a release, representatives said Re:Create will focus on “engaging and informing lawmakers” on the importance of things like fair use, safe harbors, curbing statutory damages, and the need to counter “abusive” copyright enforcement practices.
The new coalition comes as talk of copyright reform is inching along in Congress, and as intellectual property is a hot issue in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement talks.
“We must be careful that efforts to reduce copyright infringement do not prevent legitimate uses, free expression, new innovations, or bring unnecessary harm to the public,” said Courtney Young, president of the ALA, in a statement.
