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...
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