The Bush Administration has proposed sweeping new legislation to change the law regarding intellectual property rights in the United States.
The Intellectual Property Protection Act (IPPA) of 2007 proposes to create a new crime of “attempted” copyright infringement, increase the criminal penalties for violations of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), and authorize the Bush Administration to spy on US citizens targeted by copyright infringement investigations. And that’s only the beginning. IPPA is so extreme, it would punish a hospital worker for using unlicensed software with life imprisonment.
In a speech before the US Chamber of Commerce this week, US Attorney Alberto Gonzales said the legislation was necessary “to meet the global challenges of IP crime, our criminal laws must be kept updated.”
CNet published a report (and podcast) that lays out IPPA’s main provisions, and Harold Feld wrote a good analysis of IPPA’s use for domestic spying.