FECA skips through to the House

ALA: "The House Judiciary Committee of the U.S. Congress passed S. 167, [Family and Entertainment Copyright Act of 2005] that had been approved by the Senate on February 1. The full House is expected to pass the bill soon. [FECA] picked up a number of provisions that were included previously in Senate and House copyright bills in the 108th Congress that did not pass."

Title I of the bill criminalizes the unauthorized recording of motion pictures in a movie theatre. Title II makes clear that consumers who use technology in their homes to skip over offensive material in motion pictures are not infringing copyright. Title III reauthorizes the National Film Preservation Board and the National Film Preservation Foundation, and will help ensure the preservation of our national film heritage. Title IV of the bill, the “Preservation of Orphan Works Act,” would amend Section 108 of the Copyright Act to allow libraries to engage in preservation, scholarship and research of musical works, motion pictures, and other audiovisual works during the last 20 years of their copyright term.