A retirement in Congress may mean an end to chances for copyright reform any time soon.
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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A retirement in Congress may mean an end to chances for copyright reform any time soon, reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.
US Representative John Conyers, a Democrat from Detroit who have served for over a half century, has retired this week in the wake of allegations of sexual misconduct. In addition to introducing the bill to make Martin Luther King’s birthday a national holiday, Conyers was a staunch supporter of the publishing industry’s copyright efforts, Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
“As the ranking member on the House Judiciary Committee, and together with chairman Bob Goodlatte, Conyers was part of that massive copyright review that kicked off in 2013, with some 20 hearings, and hundreds of witnesses, including a roadshow in various cities. Well, that review effort has not yet yielded results,” Albanese notes.
“Earlier this year, Goodlatte announced he is retiring at the end of next year, and now Conyers has resigned, which means the two men behind that massive copyright review, and its two biggest supporters, are not going to be around to support any policy proposals that might come from it.”
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.