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White House to Propose New Digital Copyright Laws to Congress

by Amar Toor on February 9, 2011 at 11:00 AM

torrentsThe Obama administration has put together a new set of digital copyright laws aimed at cracking down on illegal downloads and other forms of online piracy.

Yesterday, intellectual property enforcement coordinator Victoria Espinel released a 92-page report (PDF), outlining the White House's copyright proposals, which will be submitted to Congress "in the very near future." Although the report acknowledges the administration's desire to protect "legitimate uses of the Internet and... principles of free speech and fair process," it makes no mention of fair use of intellectual property. The document also lauds the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) as a treaty that will "aid right-holders and the U.S. government to combat infringement."

Not surprisingly, Obama's proposals have been met with approval from some of Congress' most committed anti-piracy advocates, including Rep. Bob Goodlatte, a Republican from Virginia who chairs the House subcommittee devoted to copyright laws. "I'm committed to strengthening the laws that promote investment, innovation and creativity at home," Goodlatte said. "I share the view that our criminal and IP laws need to be modernized to ensure that legitimate online commerce is not crippled by rampant piracy and counterfeiting, much of which originates overseas."

Tags: congress, copyright, download, IllegalDownloads, intellectual property, IntellectualProperty, law, obama, Obama Administration, ObamaAdministration, piracy, politics, top, Web

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