The Bush Administration is taking some time from its focus on international affairs to consider the thorny issue of intellectual property. According to the
Hollywood Reporter, the
Administration is urging Congress to enact new laws for protecting copyright by making it easier to put perpetrators in the big house. At a conference on intellectual property crime, U.S. Attorney
General Alberto Gonzales said tough law enforcement is urgently needed because the money generated from piracy leads to terrorism and other illegal activities. Among the changes Gonzales requested
are: to allow authorities to recognize a criminal case and make arrests before registration with the Register of Copyrights is complete; to make it a crime to attempt to infringe a copyright; to
increase the amount of jail time for repeat offenders; and to allow authorities to obtain a wiretap for suspects in intellectual property crimes. Entertainment industry executives were naturally
thrilled with the news, but fair-use advocacy groups worried about eliminating the registration requirement and about making an attempt the same thing as a crime.
Read the whole story at Hollywood Reporter »
