Copyright term, film labeling, and film preservation legislation : hearings before the Subcommittee on Courts and Intellectual Property of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fourth Congress, first session, on H.R. 989, H.R. 1248, and H.R. 1734 ... June 1 and July 13, 1995 (1996)

Record Details:

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53 to do is very much and confirmably so in the long-range economic interest of the United States. And now, since Congressman Conyers has arrived, may I do this all over again, please? [The prepared statement of Mr. Valenti follows:] Prepared Statement of Jack Valenti, President and CEO, Motion Picture Association of America Copyright term extension has a simple but compelling enticem.ent: it is very much in America's economic interests. At a time when our marketplace is besieged by cin avalanche of imports, at a hme when the phrase 'surplus balance of trade' is seldom heard in the corridors of Congress, at a time when our ability to compete in international markets is under assault, whatever can be done ought to be done to amplify America's export dexterity in tlie global arena . Europe is girding its economic loins. One small piece of that call to arms is that the European Union has lengthened copyright term to 70 years plus life of the author. Europe's planners understand all too clearly how the market works. In that kind of audiovisual locale, the U.S. has to match Europe. It can do so by extending U.S. copyright term to put our term, span at the same level as Europe's 70 years PLUS life of the author or 95 years for works made for hire. There are Four major reasons which command our attention and certify tlie need for copyright term extension: First, while the Berne Convention hcis a minimum term (life of the author plus fifty) any nation can provide longer terms. But, and this is pivotal, a nation does not have to prptect other countries' works beyond what those countries provide for their works. To put it plainly, Europe would not guard American works beyond the American term limit, whereas Eiuropean works would have longer security cmd energy in the marketplace. Second, this mecins that American works would go into public domain in Europe, thereby cutting off revenues for American copyright owners, and transferring those revenues into European hands, and elsewhere.