If you are an author, regardless of where you stand on copyright, please take time to read and respond to the U.S. Commerce Department’s inquiry about the relationship between copyright and the internet.  Making sure that your voice is heard is an important part of determining the future and ultimately having a say in something that will affect your career.

Their press release is below.

The U.S. Commerce Department’s Internet Policy Task Force today issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) seeking comment from all interested stakeholders on the protection of copyrighted works online and the relationship between copyright law and innovation in the Internet economy.

Considering the vital importance of the Internet in today’s society, the Department of Commerce has made it a top priority to ensure that the Internet remains open for innovation. The initiative on Copyright Policy, Creativity and Innovation in the Internet economy seeks to identify policies that will:

1. Generate benefits for rights holders of creative works accessible online and make recommendations with respect to those who infringe on those rights;
2. Enable the robust and free flow of information to facilitate innovation and growth of the Internet economy; and
3. Ensure transparency and due process in cooperative efforts to build confidence in the Internet as a means of distributing copyrighted works.

The comments gathered through this NOI will be used by the Internet Policy Task Force in preparing a report that will contribute to the administration’s domestic policy and international engagement in the area of online copyright protection.Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments by e-mail to copyright-noi-2010@ntia.doc.gov. Comments filed in response to this NOI will be made available to the public on the Internet Policy Task Force website at http://www.ntia.doc.gov/internetpolicytaskforce.

For more details on the NOI, visit: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2010/pdf/2010-24863.pdf.

Full press release.