UPDATE (October 27): The deadline on this consultation has been extended to November 30. You're reading it here first: The Registrar of Copyrights has indicated that the government may soon make amendments to the Copyright Act, according to an email to industry associations and law firms reviewed by MediaNama. Three stakeholders confirmed to MediaNama that the email was authentic, as has the industry association Nasscom, which has put out a call for comments to its members on its forum. As has been the pattern of late with many government consultations — such as the one around New IP or software for emerging technologies — this is not an open consultation with public participation, but a private one circulated among industry stakeholders. We have reached out to the registrar of copyrights for a comment. An amendment of the Copyright Act could have significant ramifications for technology policy — issues like digital rights management, online piracy, statutory licensing, intermediary liability, and live performances online are issues that the industry may push to formalise changes in. Indeed, the email sent by the government indicates that the changes it is considering will be largely digital in nature. "The copyright industries are performing [and] evolving in the light of changes brought about by use of internet, digitalization and an increasingly globalized market for digital content," the email said. The copyright registrar has set a November 4 November 30 deadline for comments. Nasscom has asked its members, meanwhile, to respond by October 26, so that it can formalise…
