At a hearing of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday, Big Music squared off with ISPs on a bill that would modify how copyright owners can pursue digital pirates through the courts.
The bill, filed by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas), would require copyright holders to file a civil lawsuit before obtaining a subpoena to gather personal information on alleged music pirates from an ISP.
Currently, anyone claiming to be a copyright holder can obtain a subpoena to discover the name, address and telephone number of any Internet user alleged to be infringing a copyright. All the seeker needs to do is file a request with a court clerk, who is required by law to issue it.
“Congress hasn’t even given such broad powers to law enforcement investigating terrorism,” Verizon general counsel William P. Barr declared in a statement.
Related Posts
- Senator Takes a Swing at RIAA
- Senate committee to address ISP subpoenas
- EFF Working to Make RIAA Subpoenas Public
- RIAA Letter to ISPs Asks for Help in Combating File-Sharing
- MIT May Fight Second RIAA Subpoena
Loading ...
