Piracy Bill Advances in House

The House Judiciary Committee approved a copyright holder-backed enforcement proposal known as the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property, or Pro-IP, Act, which is chiefly sponsored by the committee's chairman, Rep. John Conyers (D-MI). The bill would rewrite U.S. law to allow federal officials to seize property from convicted copyright infringers who made unauthorized copies of music, movies, or live performances. That property could include computers or other equipment used to commit intellectual-property crimes or obtained as a result of those proceeds. In civil cases, the feds would have to establish that there was a "substantial connection" between the property and the offense. The bill would create the US Intellectual Property Enforcement representative -- charged with acting as a chief adviser on intellectual property enforcement matters, 10 intellectual-property "attaches" to serve in U.S. embassies and creation of a new "intellectual property enforcement division" within the Justice Department. The measure does not contain a controversial provision that would have dramatically increased fines in copyright infringement lawsuits. Public Knowledge President Gigi Sohn said, "We are pleased that the Committee amended the bill (HR 4279) to make clear there has to be a ‘substantial connection’ between property to be seized, such as a computer, a car or a house, and any violations of the copyright law. Now that the Committee has approved the bill, we look forward to legislative action on Orphan Works legislation, (HR 5889), that would work to restore balance in copyright law."
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House Judiciary Committee Bill Would Crack Down on IP Theft
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6556265.html?rssid=193

Public Knowledge
http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1543