Covid-19 has changed a lot about the world, and that includes the future of intellectual property litigation. Tucked away in the December 2020 coronavirus relief bill was the CASE Act, a law that establishes a voluntary small claims court for low-cost copyright disputes.
The Copyright Claims Board will be under the jurisdiction of the Copyright Office. It will be empowered to hear claims for damages due to copyright infringement up to $15,000 per claim, with an overall limit of $30,000 per case. A three-judge panel will rule on the cases.
Copyright litigation is notoriously expensive. With this act, Congress hopes to create an alternative forum where smaller claims can be litigated at lower cost. However, with the process being voluntary it remains to be seen how often parties will opt to use the system over the federal courts. In any case, the CCB won’t be open until at earliest late 2021.
Copyright is a complex area of law that Congress is looking at for a reason. If you are dealing with copyright in your work, contact The Law Firm of Dillon McCarthy for help.