Electronics manufacturers and some Internet providers are mounting a counterattack to a copyright bill that is intended to ban peer-to-peer networks and could imperil devices like Apple Computer’s iPod as well.
That measure, called the Induce Act, has been widely panned by the technology industry. Now some groups, including SBC Communications, Verizon Communications and the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), are fighting back with their own proposal that will be sent to Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon.
Their proposal, dubbed the “Don’t Induce Act,” is designed to provide the Senate with an alternative that’s less threatening to the industry. It is far narrower, saying that only someone who distributes a commercial computer program that is “specificially designed” for widescale piracy on digital networks could be held liable for copyright violations. Hardware like the iPod and other music players would not be targeted.
In an interview, Michael Petricone, a CEA vice president, said that Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch said to “give us something that reflects your concerns.”
“We came back and tried to do what Hatch asked us to do,” Petricone said. Hatch, a Utah Republican, is the primary Senate proponent of the original Induce Act, which also enjoys support from top Democrats.
Others involved in the drafting of the Don’t Induce Act include the American Library Association, the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), DigitalConsumer.org, the Home Recording Rights Coalition and Public Knowledge, Petricone said.
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