from: "Senator Scott P. Brown"
(sbrown@scottbrown.senate.gov)
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeiting Act (S. 3804). I value your input and appreciate hearing from you.
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeiting Act on September 20, 2010. This legislation would allow the Department of Justice (DOJ) a new legal pathway to shut down websites that are dedicated to providing unauthorized access to copyrighted materials. If a federal court determines that a website allows illegal access to copyrighted materials, S. 3804 would give the DOJ the ability to take the website down if it is registered in the United States, or to require Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to limit access to that website if the website is registered in a foreign country. Currently, this bill has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary for further consideration. While I am not a member of this committee, I will certainly monitor the progress of S. 3804 in recognition of the importance of these issues.
Intellectual property (IP) theft is a growing issue affecting many American industries, including music and movie studios and software companies. IP theft can result in a loss of revenue that ultimately can cost jobs in Massachusetts and across the country. The DOJ has successfully shut down organizations in the United States that are dedicated to piracy, but has encountered difficulty with modern peer-to-peer downloading through “torrent” technology. With this technology, individuals can download without a central server and by basing their activities in regions with lax or non-enforced copyright laws.
You may be interested to know that the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative is currently drafting the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, in conjunction with other nations. The tenth round of negotiations was held in Washington from August 16 — 20, 2010. The goal of this agreement is to better combat the sale of counterfeit and pirated goods. International cooperation on intellectual property is critical to combating illegal downloading.
Again, thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. Should S. 3804 or other legislation related to intellectual property theft come before the full Senate for debate, I will consider it with your views in mind. If I can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact me or visit my website at www.scottbrown.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
Scott P. Brown
United States Senator
.
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