Thank you for contacting me about the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act. I appreciate hearing from you.
The growth of the digital marketplace is extraordinary and it gives creators and producers new opportunities to reach consumers, but it also brings with it the perils of piracy and counterfeiting. The increased usage and accessibility of the Internet has transformed it into the new Main Street. Internet purchases have become so commonplace that consumers are less wary of online shopping and therefore more easily victimized by online products that are unsafe, or have health, safety or other quality concerns when they are counterfeit. Each year, online piracy and the sale of counterfeit goods cost the American economy billions of dollars. This is unacceptable in any economic climate, but it is devastating today.
On September 20, I introduced the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, legislation that will provide the Department of Justice with an important tool to crack down on websites that are primarily dedicated to online infringement. This legislation allows the Department to file a civil action against a domain name that provides access to the infringing website, and to seek an order from a court that would allow the Attorney General to suspend the infringing domain name. This is an important tool that will empower the government to go after the worst examples of online infringement, websites that often appear legitimate to American consumers, but contain pirated content or sell counterfeit goods that are of lower quality or might be unsafe.
It is important to note that this legislation does not empower corporations to shut-down websites, nor does it target Internet users for any activities that they may engage in. It also does not target mainstream websites that may incidentally engage in infringement. This legislation simply grants the government the ability to go after the most egregious examples of websites that are attempting to deceive American consumers. This bill is currently pending before the Judiciary Committee, where I serve as Chairman.
Thank you again for contacting me. Please keep in touch.
Patrick Leahy
United States Senator
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