House overwhelmingly passes controversial PRO-IP Act
Posted May 9th, 2008 by silentboom
output
MPAA chairman Dan Glickman applauded the House for passing the bill and expresses hope that it will move just as quickly through the Senate. "We applaud the members of the House of Representatives for passing the PRO-IP Act, H.R. 4279. It is a comprehensive, bipartisan measure that will strengthen our nation's economy and generate more jobs for American workers by bolstering protections for intellectual property," Glickman said in a statement. "Given the difficult economic times we face, the PRO-IP Act is welcome by both the business and labor communities because it can improve our nation's economic outlook. I hope the Senate will move quickly to pass similar legislation."
The Pro-IP Act would establish a new copyright enforcement division with the Department of Justice and create a new position for a federal copyright enforcement czar. The bill would also enable law enforcement agents to seize property from copyright infringers. An earlier version of the bill would have allowed the content industry to collect damages for each track copied from a CD, but that provision was removed after coming under widespread criticism.
House approval of the Pro-IP Act comes only a week after it received the unanimous blessing of the House Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), the chief sponsor of the bill.
The Senate has yet to take up its version of the bill, which has languished in committee since being introduced last fall. There is also some doubt as to whether President Bush would sign it in its current form, as the administration has expressed reservations about it.
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More Gov't
This is going to keep the gov't/big industry revolving door going steady.. Not to mention increasing the size of gov't.
EFF
If you don't already know about the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), go check 'em out. Good guys fighting the good fight, the EFF is the leading civil liberties group defending your rights in the digital world.
I started an IP house last year.
This is crap. It could be used by the establishment to slow innovation coming from small, new, or individual entreprenuer enterprises.
What about China?
China is stealing intellectual property. They are making all kinds of things that they don't own the rights to. How are we going to enforce this in China?
I don't see how this will save American jobs. I thought we are in a global economy now. Can't China just sell the products made with our technology for less money to other countries?
Since the beginning of time societies have taken the ideas and information from other societies. That is just the way things are.
This is just a way for the government to steal from the American people. They have no intention of going after the people (mostly China) that are causing the serious problems in this area. This makes me sick.
Can the RIAA take your home?
Boing Boing's article on this issue asserts that this could ultimately lead to losing your house, vis a vis the "war" on drugs, terror, etc.