Upholding Copyright Protections: Ranking Member Raskin's Opening Remarks at Subcommittee Hearing

Chairman Issa, thanks to all of our witnesses for joining us today. We've got two competing principles in play today, both of them deeply rooted in our constitutional culture. One of them is the protection and incentivization of creators through copyright, and the other is the idea that public laws must be available to the public on a universally accessible and free basis. The Pro Codes Act, introduced by the distinguished Chairman, Mr. Issa, and our esteemed colleague, Representative Ross, seeks to reconcile these principles by promoting innovation alongside a legal system that the public can access. I recognize there's no shortage of strong, divergent opinions on all sides of this issue, sometimes held by the exact same person, as people change their minds over time about this question, which sometimes can seem kind of esoteric. But it's incumbent upon this committee to study the details here, where the answer is going to lie. We've got to be sure that we are reconciling these two principles. The devil's in the details, Mr. Chairman, and I look forward to hearing from our excellent witnesses today.