C-SPAN announced Wednesday two initiatives designed to expand public access to its vast online video library.

The first is “a liberalized copyright policy” for current, future and past coverage of any events sponsored by Congress, the White House and other federal agencies, “which will allow non-commercial copying, sharing and posting of C- SPAN video on the Internet, with attribution,” according to a network release.[IMGCAP(1)]

The change, which became effective Wednesday, applies to content that accounts for about half of all programming offered on the C-SPAN networks.

In addition, C-SPAN also announced plans to build out its capitolhearings.org Web site to become a “one-stop resource” for Congressionally produced Webcasts of House and Senate committee and subcommittee hearings.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed satisfaction with the news.

“As a strong advocate for open and transparent government, I am pleased that C-SPAN is expanding access to its extensive video coverage of federal government activities,” she said in a statement. “The House of Representatives is called the People’s House for a reason and as Speaker, I am committed to ensuring our government is fully accessible and transparent. This decision, along with our work to webcast committee hearings, is a solid start.”

Document Defense. A security specialist at the Government Printing Office has been named to the board of directors of the Document Security Alliance, a group made up of officials from public agencies and private companies who work to protect important documents.

Kevin Kaporch, who serves as director of product security at the GPO, will work with officials from the Secret Service, Central Intelligence Agency, Social Security Administration and the FBI to better secure documents such as driver’s licenses, credit cards and even currency.

Kaporch has more than 30 years of experience in investigative and security work, including two decades at the FBI. At the GPO, Kaporch has helped manage the Electronic Passport Program.

— John McArdle and Elizabeth Brotherton