"Pro-IP" passes Congress

[unixronin]

The Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act, formerly known as the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act aka Pro-IP, has now passed both the House (341-41) and Senate (unanimously), and awaits only a Presidential signature.  The Bush administration sent a letter to Congress last week stating opposition to the bill, and I'm hoping for a veto.

In a letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that amounts to a veto threat, the administration said it was "deeply concerned" that the proposal would divert resources from criminal prosecution to civil enforcement, and create "unnecessary bureaucracy." Currently prosecutors have authority to file criminal charges.

The two-page letter said that copyright owners already have plenty of legal methods to target infringers, including seeking injunctions, impounding infringing materials, recovering actual damages plus statutory damages, and, in some cases, obtaining attorney's fees.  The letter was signed by Keith Nelson, a principal deputy assistant attorney general, and Lily Fu Claffee, the Commerce Department's general counsel.

[...]

In addition, the administration said the bill was "objectionable on constitutional grounds" because it would create an "IP coordinator" inside the White House, the organization of which is traditionally a presidential prerogative.

This bill is backed by both the MPAA and the RIAA, among others, and opponents include the EFF, Public Knowledge, and the American Library Association.  I cannot find any way to believe that it can possibly be a good thing for anyone except corporations.

In related news, Internet radio stations have won a temporary reprieve in the form of an extension of time to negotiate a new license fee agreement with the RIAA's SoundExchange subsidiary.  The extension gives both Internet and traditional radio stations until February 15 to arrive at a new agreement.  The RIAA's proposed terms would have bankrupted Internet radio stations, requiring up to 75% of their total revenue to be paid in licensing fees.

Comments

[radarrider.livejournal.com]

What disturbs me is that it passed the Senate unanimously and the House with an overwhelming majority.

[unixronin.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Those are worrisome.

I hate the smell of BOHICA in the morning.