An attempt to win approval of copyright legislation that would target peer-to-peer file services for enticing people to illegally “share” copies of movies, songs and other works is temporarily dead in Congress.
The Inducing Infringements of Copyrights Act (S.2560) failed after negotiations between the principal parties broke down last week just before a scheduled vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).
News reports said the legislation, rushed for completion before the Congressional election recess, fell victim to the clock, its complexity and the opposition that organized to defeat it.
In its original form, the proposed law would hold technology companies liable for manufacturing products that encourage people to infringe upon copyrights. The language of the bill caused an uproar among technology and consumer advocates who contend it would kill technological innovation.
Sen. Hatch invited interested parties to submit substitute language for the bill, then asked the two sides to work together to develop a compromise bill by last week. That failed to happen, with controversy over the proposed legislation wider than ever.
For more information, visit www.senate.gov.
