According to Associated Press US Senate just passed, unanimously, the intellectual property bill (today – Friday, September 26).
This would give the Justice Department more resources to combat intellectual property theft, including patent and trademark infringement, counterfeiting and copyright crimes.
This bill also would authorize funding for federal and local law enforcement to fight intellectual property theft and expand the scope of things that could be seized in a criminal case.
The legislation would create a new position in the executive office of the president to coordinate enforcement of intellectual property rights across federal agencies and departments.
“Intellectual property makes up some of the most valuable, and most vulnerable, property we have,” Patrick Leahy (Judiciary Committee Chairman) said in a statement. “We need to do more to protect it from theft and abuse if we hope to continue being a world leader in innovation.”
That sentiment was echoed by the Copyright Alliance, a nonprofit group whose members include the Business Software Alliance, the National Association of Broadcasters, the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America. Member companies include software, media and communications companies like Microsoft Corp., AT&T Inc., News Corp., Time Warner Inc. and Walt Disney Co.
“We can look forward to U.S. artists and creators maintaining their leading role in the world of producing creative works that enrich our culture and drive our economy,” the Copyright Alliance said in a statement hailing the bill. That applies to software creators as well.
There’s is a concern that this bill will favor more large media companies and the public-interest advocacy group Public Knowledge is worried about that, especially that the bill would allow a court to order the forfeiture of any property used in an infringement.
That could include servers owned by Internet service providers or Internet companies.
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