Recently, the Copyright Claims Board (“CCB”) made a new resource available that may be beneficial to any playwrights, composers, lyricists, or librettists who are looking to bring copyright claims before the CCB.
This new resource is a directory of both clinics and organizations who work with law students to represent parties in a dispute before the CCB. It also includes a list of organizations that provide a range of pro bono assistance. While having legal representation is certainly not a requirement in order to bring a claim before the CCB, and the process has been designed to make it easy for you to represent yourself, if you’d prefer to obtain legal counsel -- but have limited financial resources to do so -- you should explore the options listed here first.
Please note, however, that this directory is still new; additional resources are in the process of being added as they are submitted and vetted by the CCB. So, if you don’t see something listed in your area keep checking back as this directory continues to grow.
The Guild will continue to keep our members informed of CCB updates as we receive them. If you ever have any questions about protecting your copyright, you can always reach out to us at the BA Career Help Desk.
About the Copyright Claims Board
The Copyright Claims Board ("CCB") is a voluntary arbitration procedure within the U.S. Copyright Office that offers copyright owners an alternative to bringing a claim in federal court.
Before the establishment of the CCB, copyright owners would have to file their claims in a federal court, which is not only complicated and time consuming, but quite expensive, making relatively smaller infringements not worth litigating.
With the CCB's launch this past spring, copyright owners now have a cheaper and faster alternative to federal court. They can now adjudicate claims that would otherwise be cost prohibitive. The process also limits the kinds and amount of discovery, allowing for all paperwork to be filed electronically and for CCB proceedings to be conducted remotely through video conferencing.