House Judiciary Hearing Held on "Stop Online Piracy Act"
The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on November 16, 2011 on H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act. The Committee states that H.R. 3261 would allow the U.S. Attorney General to seek injunctions against foreign websites that steal and sell American innovations and products. The bill would also increase criminal penalties for individuals who traffic in counterfeit medicine and military goods, and improve coordination between intellectual property (IP) enforcement agencies in the U.S.
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Testifying at the hearing in favor of the legislation were representatives of Pfizer, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Mastercard, and the AFL-CIO, as well as the U.S. Register of Copyrights. Testifying at the hearing against the bill was a representative of Google, Inc., who stated that the measure would expose U.S. internet and technology companies to new and uncertain liabilities and private rights of action, among other concerns.