Thank you for contacting me about Senate Bill 978 (S. 978). I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this matter.
As you may know, S. 978 would update federal criminal copyright statutes to address technological advancements that have been made since these laws were originally enacted in 1976. Under current law, individuals can be prosecuted for a felony for copying and selling ten digital copies of a copyrighted movie or record totaling at least $2,500. However, if the copyrighted content is distributed over an Internet stream, that same individual can sell thousands of copies, totaling millions of dollars, and yet only be prosecuted for a misdemeanor.
Unfortunately, federal prosecutors have little incentive to pursue misdemeanors, and as a result these crimes largely go unpunished. S. 978 would address the recent proliferation of intellectual property theft of copyrighted content over the Internet without expanding the scope of what is considered criminal activity. Instead, S. 978 corrects the disparity between copying and streaming crimes and will help safeguard the valuable intellectual property of creators, artists, and others who contribute so much to America’s economy. It is important to note that this legislation does not penalize the simple sharing or viewing of videos or linking to other websites with copyrighted content. S. 978 is narrow in focus and individuals cannot be prosecuted unless they are profiting from the dissemination of copyrighted content.
I appreciate having the opportunity to represent Texans in the United States Senate, and you may be certain that I will continue working with my colleagues to pass common sense legislation that protects those who contribute to the growth of our economy. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.
Sincerely,
John Cornyn
United States Senator
.
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