Wednesday, December 30, 2020
While most Americans are likely aware that President Donald Trump signed a pandemic relief and government spending bill into law on Dec. 27, 2020 (the “Omnibus Bill”),
[i] it is important for those who have intellectual property assets to understand that tucked away into this nearly 5,600-page legislation are laws impacting copyrights, trademarks, and patents. Despite receiving only limited scrutiny before becoming law, the copyright and trademark laws in particular could have a profound impact on protection and enforcement of these assets.
Copyrights
The Omnibus Bill impacts copyright law in the following general ways: It establishes a copyright small-claims court within the U.S. Copyright Office to adjudicate disputes valued at $30,000 or fewer in damages, and it creates felony criminal penalties for unauthorized commercial streaming.