[A2k] Controversial Pro-IP Act sails through Judiciary Committe

[Manon Ress]

Controversial Pro-IP Act sails through Judiciary Committee
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080430-pro-ip-act-passes-in-the-hous=
e.html
By Ryan Paul | Published: April 30, 2008 - 06:55PM CT

The House Judiciary Committee has unanimously approved the Pro-IP Act,
a legislative proposal which aims to impose stronger penalties for
copyright infringement. The approval is no surprise, since the bill's
chief sponsor is committee chairman Rep. John Conyers.

The bill would create a new position for a federal copyright
enforcement czar, establish a new copyright enforcement division
within the Department of Justice, and would also permit law
enforcement agents to seize property from perpetrators of copyright
infringement. A controversial provision in the bill=97which would have
significantly raised the financial penalties for infringement by
allowing the recording industry to collect damages for each track
copied from a CD=97was removed after receiving widespread criticism from
critics and intellectual property law experts.

The Judiciary Committee's approval of the bill has been welcomed by
the Copyright Alliance, an industry-backed group that has lobbied
fiercely for more extreme copyright protection. "The PRO IP Act
contains numerous means to increase copyright enforcement both
domestically as well as abroad, where the US Trade Representative's
most recent report shows piracy remains rampant," said Patrick Ross,
executive director of the Copyright Alliance, in a statement. "The
Copyright Alliance applauds the work of the House Judiciary Committee
and the leadership of Chairman John Conyers and Ranking Member Lamar
Smith, for advancing this important piece of legislation today. Given
the high stakes involved, we expect expedient action by the full House
of Representatives."

The Pro-IP Act's property seizure issue is still contentious and
viewed with serious concern by many who have studied the systematic
abuses of the same practices in the War on Drugs.

Although the Judiciary Committee's approval is only the first step for
the Pro-IP Act and many challenges remain before it can become a law.
Its supporters are facing some time constraints, since the upcoming
election will likely slow down legislative efforts in Congress. If the
Pro-IP Act doesn't pass both chambers before the end of the year, they
will have to start again in the following session. The content
industry will likely continue its lobbying efforts in an effort to
smooth out any potential speed bumps.