Copyright Office Announces Appointments of Copyright Claims Board Officers

Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter today announced the appointments by the Librarian of Congress of David Carson, Monica P. McCabe, and Brad Newberg as the first copyright claims officers on the newly established Copyright Claims Board (CCB). “We are pleased to welcome these three experts with such substantial experience in copyright law and alternative dispute resolution,” said Register Perlmutter. “Their combined deep knowledge and skills will help ensure the successful launch and operation of this important new tribunal.”

In December 2020, Congress passed the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2020 (CASE Act), which directed the Copyright Office to establish the CCB as a tribunal to provide an efficient and user-friendly option to resolve copyright disputes of a small monetary value. More information about the CCB is available on the Copyright Office’s website here.

Carson has had a long and distinguished career in copyright law in both the government and the private sector. Since 2014, he has headed the Copyright Policy Team in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He was previously the executive vice president for global legal policy at the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Before that, he served at the Copyright Office, where he was General Counsel for thirteen years and Associate Register for Policy and International Affairs for two years. Earlier in his career, Carson practiced at leading copyright law firms in New York City and Los Angeles. He is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Stanford University.

McCabe has chaired the intellectual property department at Phillips Nizer LLP since 2018. She is a veteran copyright litigator with over three decades of experience, representing both users and copyright owners. She has served on numerous arbitration panels, including for the International Trademark Association, the Southern District of New York, and the New York State Supreme Court Commercial Division. She has handled a wide range of disputes in the alternative dispute resolution context, including as a special master. McCabe holds a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center, an MA from the University of Chicago, and a BA from Fordham University.

Newberg has led the copyright and trademark litigation practice at McGuire Woods since 2014. Over the past twenty-plus years, he has served as lead counsel in well over a hundred copyright matters, appearing before federal trial and appellate courts across the country. He counsels clients on cutting-edge legal issues and has handled numerous copyright-focused transactional and licensing matters. Newberg holds a JD and a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a BS from its Wharton School of Business.

Carson’s appointment became effective July 6. McCabe’s appointment becomes effective September 13, and Newberg’s appointment becomes effective on August 16.