iCopyright.com Testifies Before Congressional Subcommittee; Supports Licensing Recommendations of US Copyright Office for Digital Distance Education

Business Wire, June 24, 1999

RENTON, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 1999--

iCopyright.com, the instant copyright and reprint clearinghouse, today testified in support of recommendations of the U.S. Copyright Office that copyright owners and users should have the opportunity to establish workable licensing solutions in the emerging digital distance education market with minimal government regulation.

The testimony came at a hearing of the US House of Representatives Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property in Washington, DC today.

The purpose of the hearing was to review the recommendations of the Copyright Office's recent report, "Copyright and Digital Distance Education." In the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, Congress charged the Copyright Office to study how to promote distance education through digital technologies, and report back with recommendations.

Glenn Ochsenreiter, iCopyright.com vice president of industry relations, testified before the subcommittee that technological solutions were coming online to overcome obstacles in obtaining timely clearances to reuse copyrighted material for distance learning and other purposes. iCopyright.com provides the first automated solution, allowing for immediate clearance of content from publishers and solving the customer's frustration in finding the copyright holder, learning what type of copyright clearances are available, processing the transaction, and getting the content in the desired format.

"iCopyright.com applauds the Copyright Office's fundamental premise that emerging markets should be permitted to develop with minimal government regulation, and that copyright owners and users should have the opportunity to establish mutually satisfying relationships as new technology leads to the development of new markets for copyrighted works," noted Ochsenreiter. "We are confident that the frictionless efficiency and immediacy of Web-based copyright clearance transactions will provide the foundation for effective market mechanisms to quickly take hold without the requirement of adjustments to existing law."

iCopyright.com was the only copyright or digital rights management company invited to testify before the subcommittee. Since its inception, iCopyright.com has been involved in US and global copyright policy discussions and earlier this year opened a public affairs office in Washington, DC. The iCopyright.com service is currently in a closed pilot phase with general launch to all publishers and users in fall 1999.

About iCopyright.com

iCopyright.com, a privately held company based in Renton, is the first automated copyright permissions and reprint clearinghouse. The Web service, launching later this year, allows instant reuse or reprint of content from any registered publisher. At its core is the automation of three critical steps in copyright permissions -- attaining proper clearance, paying fees, and receiving material in the desired format -- simplifying a cumbersome and time-consuming process for users and publishers. For more information, visit iCopyright.com on the Web at http://www.icopyright.com.

iCopyright.com is a service mark of iCopyright, Inc. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Editors: Copies of Glenn Ochsenreiter's testimony are available from frank@icopyright.co.