Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property

Public Performance Rights in the Age of Internet Streaming: A Discussion of Spanski Enterprises, Inc. v. Telewizja Polska, S.A.

March 19, 2018 | 5:30 
American University Washington College of Law 
Ceremonial Classroom (NT-01) 
4300 Nebraska Ave. NW 
Washington, DC 20016 
Registration

Overview

What is the reach of U.S. copyright law when it comes to online video streaming services?  Addressing an issue of first impression in the courts of appeal, Spanski Enterprises, Inc. v. Telewizja Polska, S.A. concerns whether a copyright owner’s exclusive right to control the public performance of an audiovisual work in the U.S. is infringed when the work is digitally streamed from foreign servers to viewers in the United States.  The U.S. government filed an amicus brief arguing that Spanski implicates both the interests of the Copyright Office in administering federal copyright law, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice’s ability to prosecute large-scale criminal piracy of copyrighted works by foreign entities that stream copyrighted works over the Internet to U.S. viewers.  Come hear more about these issues, which are currently being considered in Spanski by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

Featuring

Megan Barbero, the U.S. Department of Justice attorney who argued on behalf of the government before the D.C. Circuit, and Regan Smith, Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Copyright Office.  Ms. Barbero and Ms. Smith will discuss the facts and issues in Spanski and its potential impact on U.S. copyright law.  In addition, Ms. Smith will discuss how the Copyright Office typically becomes involved in copyright litigation between private parties.  They will also take questions from the audience.