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, [...]

A guest column in today’s New York Times may have set new records for overblown rhetoric about legislative efforts to curb offshore rogue websites profiting from illegal distribution of American intellectual property. In it, Rebecca MacKinnon of the New America Foundation accuses the bipartisan legislation of establishing blacklists, firewalls and censorship. Scary indeed, and who [...]

Given some of the threatening rhetoric surrounding the PROTECT-IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act, it is appropriate to consider the types of sites this legislation does and does not target. It does not target legitimate sites like YouTube, Twitter, eBay or Facebook. It does target sites that are “dedicated to theft of U.S. [...]

The U.S. House of Representatives today introduced H.R. 3261, The Stop Online Piracy Act, a bipartisan bill that would promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. intellectual property. Eight members joined House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX), Ranking Member John Conyers (D-MI), IP Subcommittee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Rep. Howard [...]

Sorry to stick that “round and round, round and round” tune into your head, but it seems appropriate for the activity of the last several days by a small but vocal cadre of technorati who are amping up the drama and fear factor related to enforcement of copyright laws online. First, a “new” group called [...]

A bill to modernize Canadian copyright laws to include protections against circumvention of technical measures, and make various other changes was introduced yesterday. In the Ottowa Citizen,  Industry Minister Chrisian Paradis said of the bill: “Our government recognizes how new technologies are changing the lives of many Canadians. This bill delivers a common-sense balance between the [...]

Copyright Alliance Executive Director Sandra Aistars made the following statement regarding Saturday’s scheduled signing of Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA): “Consistent protection of intellectual property throughout the world is critical to the security of the 11.1 million American jobs supported by the copyright community. The Copyright Alliance commends the US Trade Representative as well as the [...]

Last week was a big moment for artists and record companies in Europe. After a ten-year campaign, the EU finally agreed to extend the copyright term on sound recordings. This was a bitterly fought battle, with academics and digital activists lining up against musicians. Opponents of the legislation claimed that copyright locked up cultural assets [...]

The Copyright Alliance today announced establishment of a Legal Advisory Board to foster closer collaboration with firms representing the Alliance’s institutional members and other copyright owners. The Board launches today with 14 prestigious founding members, who will work with the Alliance and its membership to further understanding and respect for copyright law, develop educational programs, [...]

Creators’ Stories On the Hill This Week Sandra joined representatives from diverse industries on Capitol Hill this week for a day of advocacy on behalf of intellectual property rights and the PROTECT IP Act. Organized by our friends at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the meetings brought together the manufacturing, creative and research sectors, and [...]