U.s. senators introduce legislation this year targeting websites that traffic in digital piracy or counterfeit goods, said the main sponsor of a controversial Bill proposed in 2010 that would give, government agencies, most authorities to stop these sites.
Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat of Vermont, promised Wednesday to introduce a law targeting so-called rogue sites, even if it did not say how closely the new regulations would mirror the fight against counterfeiting and forgery Act (COICA).
COICA, which the Senate failed to act on, he would have given the new Department of Justice of the United States to force domain name registrars to shut down websites that allegedly infringing copyright.
Senators Leahy and other noted complaints about COICA during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Wednesday, although some have argued that the American Government needs to take the main new measures to protect the trades of the United States against copyright infringement.
"Argue that America is the largest transfer of wealth through theft and piracy in the history of humanity, loser," said Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, a Democrat of Rhode Island. "We're doing practically nothing."
By the end of November, the u.s. Department of Homeland Security immigration and customs enforcement (ICE) has obtained a court order to shut down more than 100 websites for alleged copyright infringement, even without the new authority in COICA. Monday, ICE announced that he had seized the domain names of 18 Web sites offering counterfeit jewelry, handbags, perfumes and other products.
Critics of COICA said they would trample the rights of freedom of expression on the Web sites that offer forums, reviews and other information in addition to selling digital or physical goods. Many Internet engineers suggested could fragment COICA domain name system of the Internet with other countries encouraged to block websites for a variety of reasons.
But Senators heard little criticism of COICA during their hearing. Representatives of the groups that have expressed their opposition to the Bill did not appear as witnesses.
Representatives of Visa and domain name Registrar GoDaddy.com said they would prefer a process in which businesses work together to fight copyright infringement online, but said or Rep that opposition to the Bill. GoDaddy recommends "targeted, tailored restrictive" legislation, but the company supports the aims of COICA, said Christine Jones, executive vice President and General Counsel of the company.
Thomas Dailey, vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Verizon Communications, suggested various changes COICA, which would make it more than acceptable for Internet service providers, including a limit on the number of seizures of the domain name that DoJ could ask before ISPS are paid for compliance costs. Dailey has also suggested that the seizures of the domain name to be used only when less restrictive methods will not work.
Many other groups have raised other concerns, Dailey said senators. "We also note that the new approaches to combating online piracy law raises complex issues, and that block of Government sanctioned site represents a major shift in policy of the United States that requires careful consideration and input from a group of stakeholders and variety," he said.
Witnesses at the hearing questioned because search engines have been providing search results and selling advertising for websites that sell counterfeit or pirated goods. "You got to stop selling your product to the" bad "," Jones said. "There is no reason for it."
Representatives of Google and Yahoo did not respond to a request for comment.
Author Scott Turow and Tom Adams, President and CEO of language learning software maker Rosetta Stone, both urged Senators to take bold new measures to protect U.S. intellectual property. People who use search engines can find dozens of websites selling fake software of Rosetta Stone, Adams said.
"Over the past several years, we've frankly Been under attack by pirates and counterfeiters," said Adams. "American companies today are losing the battle against these counterfeiters".
Grant Gross covers technology and telecommunications policy in the Government of the United States for the IDG News Service. Follow Grant on Twitter at GrantGross. E-mail address is grant_gross@idg.com of Grant.
No comments:
Post a Comment