Editorial: Policing America’s Internet

A Senate bill aims to cut off support for any site found by the courts to be ‘dedicated’ to copyright or trademark infringement. It’s goals are laudable, but its details are problematic.Hollywood studios, record labels and other U.S. copyright and trademark owners are pushing Congress to give them more protection against parasitical foreign websites that are profiting from counterfeit or bootlegged goods. The Senate Judiciary Committee has responded with a bill (S 968) that would force online advertising networks, credit card companies and search engines to cut off support for any site found by the courts to be “dedicated” to copyright or trademark infringement. It’s goals are laudable, but its details are problematic.The global nature of the Internet has spawned a profusion of websites in countries that can’t or won’t enforce intellectual property law. Under S 968, if a website were deemed by a court to be dedicated to infringing activities, federal agents could then tell the U.S. companies that direct traffic, process payments, serve advertisements and locate information online to end their support for the site in question. Copyright and trademark owners would be able to follow up those court orders by seeking injunctions against payment processors and advertising networks that do not comply.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/opinionla/la-ed-protectip-20110607,0,2415749.story