Strickling Addresses Copyright Symposium

WASHINGTON, July 1, 2010 – The state of the internet economy, and how to protect copyrighted works on the internet, are two major issues facing the economy of the 21^st Century. Lawrence Strickling, assistant secretary of commerce for Communications and Information, spoke on this topic today to kick off the USPTO and NTIAs Symposium on copyright policy, creativity and innovation in the internet economy.

Lawrence E. Strickling NTIA Administrator

Strickling warned that “digital piracy of copyrighted works remains a serious problem.”

Census Bureau estimates put internet sales at $37 billion, and that within the next decade internet sales could outpace brick-and-mortar sales.

Nearly 25 percent of internet activity in 2009 was flash video, gaming, audio etc. said Strickling, and this increase activity also means an increase in copyright infringement.

Strickling said that early in the life of the internet, the U.S. established carefully constructed policies that formed the basis for the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. However, Strickling said that the symposium today is to adapt policy for the new problems that internet piracy poses.

Strickling said, “our proposals must be steered by due process and transparency … I encourage all of you … to share your views through this process”