Independent filmmaker and grassroots member David Newhoff has a piece on The Hill today highlighting the long-term consequences of overblown rhetoric on thoughtful policymaking and progress. He writes: “If SOPA and PIPA fail, or fail to pass in substantive form, it will indeed be a shame for American content creators and consumers, but the real [...]

The Copyright Alliance has written extensively about the threat of foreign-based rogue web sites to America’s artists and creators. But consumer safety is a critical factor in the importance of legislation aimed at cutting off these sites selling unlicensed, unregulated and unsafe products to American consumers. See our overview of consumer safety issues here. The [...]

As the House Judiciary Committee readies for markup of the Stop Online Piracy Act tomorrow, much attention is also being paid to a competing proposal that would utilize the International Trade Commission (ITC) as the venue for enforcing copyrights and trademarks online against foreign based rogue websites, outside of US jurisdiction. While the creative community [...]

The National Governors Association (NGA) today sent a letter to Congress supporting legislation that would combat rogue websites and protect US intellectual property. In the letter, Governors Sam Brownback and Jeremiah Nixon (Chair and Vice Chair of the NGA Economic Development and Commerce Committee) write: “On behalf of the nation’s governors, we urge Congress to [...]

Today, Texas-based author and grassroots Alliance member Karen Ranney had an oped in The Hill supporting the Stop Online Piracy Act.  As a published author, she has seen her entire library of work offered online, both for free, and for a profit to the pirates who stole them.  Of the need for rogue sites legislation, [...]

On Tuesday, a group of 46 businesses, trade associations and labor unions – from educational publishers to cosmetics companies, the US Tennis Association to IATSE — representing a broad cross section of the creative and content communities sent a letter to all members of the NY Congressional delegation asking for their support of the PROTECT [...]

Artists, songwriters, publishers and other representing America’s gospel and country music communities today are writing Members of the U.S. House of Representatives to urge support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The letter is yet another example of the diversity of artists and small businesses impacted by rogue web sites trafficking in pirated and [...]

Opponents of this legislation would have you believe that it would somehow give rightsholders unilateral ability to shut down any site that contains any infringing content. This is incorrect.  Rightsholders do not have the ability to act unilaterally.  They do not have the right to seek to shut a site down or make it inaccessible, [...]

The Internet’s role in commerce has opened unprecedented opportunities for creators and businesses to connect with fans and consumers, and given fans and consumers formerly unimaginable access to products and services they otherwise wouldn’t have. Unfortunately, the mounting problem of offshore criminal websites is jeopardizing this thriving marketplace and putting consumers at risk. Also known [...]

Efforts in the U.S. House and Senate to crack down on rogue websites trafficking in pirated and counterfeited goods have drawn criticism from voices who claim the legislation would “break the Internet.” From a pure common sense standpoint, this statement just doesn’t pass the smell test. But we have dug into the details to provide, [...]