http://www.stockasylum.com/text-pages/articles/a6sp032006-smallclaims.htm
“Asserting that photographers are “disenfranchised by the copyright
system” because they cannot afford expensive court proceedures to
protect their images, Victor Perlman told a congressional committee that
the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) would support
creation of a small claims copyright court or some other low-cost legal
procedure to help copyright owners protect their work.”
*
Video of Hearing: Oversight Hearing on “Remedies for Small Copyright
Claims”.
Wednesday 03/29/2006 – 2:00 PM
2141 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property
http://judiciary.house.gov/oversight.aspx?ID=226
Thanks to Olga Francois!
May 1st, 2006 03:43
Commenting on my own post… but just in case anyone is interested in a follow up on this subject, a legal colleague here in Israel informs me that:
“As long as one just asks for financial compensation, up to 18,000 NIS, one can go to small claims court here. However, if you need an injunction, you have to go to district court and hire a lawyer.
The difference between the US situation and ours, is that Israeli Copyright Law (unlike Patent Law) is not restricted to any specific court, thus one is not forced to go to District court, but may go to any court, depending on the relief sought.”