March 11, 2002

To all parties interested in the application of copyright law to the digital environment:

The growth of the Internet has raised complex and controversial issues over the application of copyright law to the digital environment. Examination of these issues is increasingly important in light of growing digital music piracy, expanding public demand for online music services and the willingness and ability of many entities to meet that demand.

The Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property has held a series of oversight hearings on digital music issues, culminating in a December 2001 hearing on the recommendations made by the U.S. Copyright Office in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Section 104 Report. Legislation (H.R. 2724) addressing online music issues has also been introduced in the House of Representatives.

Given the topical nature of this subject matter, we are initiating a process to review relevant digital music issues and related proposals to amend the Copyright Act that have been brought or will be brought to our attention.

All interested parties are encouraged to submit written views on the merits of relevant digital music issues and related proposed amendments to the Copyright Act. The Subcommittee deadline for receipt of comments is 5:00 p.m. on April 8, 2002. The merits of the proposals will be evaluated in light of the views received and input from other Members of the Subcommittee, with the goal of discerning whether consensus exists on meaningful solutions to address identifiable harms. Subsequently, at a date and time to be determined, we will schedule a general meeting with all interested parties to share our findings.

We thank you in advance for your participation in this process. We believe it will produce valuable discourse on these very important issues and hope it will result in meaningful solutions to some of the problems and controversies surrounding the application of copyright law to the digital environment.

Interested Copyright Parties

March __, 2002

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Sincerely,

______________________________	______________________________

F. JAMES SENSENBRENNER, JR.	JOHN CONYERS, JR.

Chairman	Ranking Member

Committee on the Judiciary	Committee on the Judiciary

______________________________	______________________________

HOWARD COBLE	HOWARD L. BERMAN

Chairman	Ranking Member

Subcommittee on Courts, the	Subcommittee on Courts, the

Internet, and Intellectual Property	Internet, and Intellectual Property

______________________________	______________________________

CHRIS CANNON	RICK BOUCHER

Member of Congress	Member of Congress

FJS, jr./dr/af