Close of Century Sees New Copyright Amendments

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As the twentieth century drew to a close, a number of amendments to the Copyright Act of 1976 were signed into law, Although more in number than last year's, they are not nearly as sweeping or important as those enacted at the end of 1998. None of these amendments should be a major concern for libraries, although some of them have the potential to affect libraries. The new amendments (1) raise the level of statutory damages under the Act, (2) require the United States Sentencing Commission to develop guidelines under the No Electronic Theft Act, (3) add sound recordings to the definition of works for hire, and (4) increase the fees for registering a copyrighted work.

Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999

This amendment, Pub. L. 106-160 was signed by President Clinton on December 9, 1999. The major thrust of the amendment is to increase the statutory …