Friday, February 10, 2012

House Passes Sweeping IP Enforcement Bill

September 28, 2008

The House passed a sweeping intellectual property enforcement bill on Sunday after the Senate approved the same version on Friday. The bill, introduced by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, ranking member Arlen Specter, and Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and George Voinovich, R-Ohio, was the product of months of negotiations with the Bush administration, consumer groups and members who opposed certain provisions. The bill now awaits the president's signature.

A similar bill sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers passed that chamber in May but a number of changes were made in the Senate. Sunday's House vote was 381-41, an indicator that not everyone was on board with the proposal. Read my story in CongressDaily's special edition for details about those who spoke out against components of measure. House members took up a number of last-minute bills as they awaited details of the economic bailout package.

Meanwhile, weekend warriors at the Motion Picture Association of America win the award for fastest distribution of a statement upon the IP bill's approval. In an e-mail to reporters a little over an hour after passage, MPAA Dan Glickman lauded Congress for acknowledging "the significance of creative endeavors." Congress sent "a clear message that the protection of intellectual property and American industrial innovation is a national priority," he said.

I'll post other reactions [after the jump] as they arrive in my inbox...

____________

Join the Discussion

The National Journal Group has the right (but not the obligation) to monitor the comments and to remove any materials it deems inappropriate.

Comments powered by Disqus

 

Archives

Monthly Archives

Categories

Recent Posts

Recent Comments


Contributors

Juliana Gruenwald

Tech Writer

E-Mail: jgruenwald@nationaljournal.com.


Juliana Gruenwald has been covering tech and telecom issues for more than a decade for National Journal, Interactive Week, BNA and Congressional Quarterly. This is her second stint with National Journal. She was recruited by NJ in 1998 to help launch its first tech policy publication, Technology Daily. She left in 2000 to cover international tech and telecom issues for Ziff Davis Media's Interactive Week magazine. She started her career at United Press International as the wire service's first Helen Thomas Intern. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota. A Minneapolis native, she misses the lakes but not the cold.


Josh Smith

Tech Reporter

E-Mail: joshsmith@nationaljournal.com.


Josh Smith covers technology policy as a staff reporter for National Journal. He previously interned at National Journal Daily, a Senate press office, and the Deseret News in Salt Lake City where he covered the state legislature, courts, and crime. In 2009 he graduated with honors from Southern Utah University after managing an award-winning student newspaper as editor-in-chief. Josh has received state, regional and national awards for his political and policy reporting, including first place in CapitolBeat’s 2009 Best of Statehouse Reporting college competition. A native of drop-dead-gorgeous Utah, Josh lives in Virginia with his wife, Amber.