The Obama administration has proposed major changes to U.S. copyright law. The most dramatic of these was making illegal streaming of audio or video a felony and allowing the FBI to wiretap individuals who participate in such activities. Outlined in a 20-page white paper (PDF), the Obama administration requested that the U.S. Congress correct “deficiencies that could hinder enforcement” of intellectual property laws.
Victoria Espinel, the first Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator, prepared the report. Espinel received Senate confirmation in December 2009. In October 2008, President Bush signed into law the Pro IP ACT, which created Espinel’s position and increased penalties for infringement of intellectual property.
The current administration is concerned that “illegal streaming of content” may not be covered by criminal law, since there is no standard to suggest whether or not streaming constitutes the distribution of copyrighted works. The new law seeks to resolve this problem and clarify that infringement by streaming and other similar new technology may be considered a felony in certain situations.
In addition, the Obama administration is proposing to add copyright and trademark infringement as as a basis for federal wiretaps, stating that it “would assist U.S. law enforcement agencies to effectively investigate those offenses.”
–torrance stephens, ph.d.
Torrance Stephens authors the blog rawdawgb.blogspot.com. Find him on twitter.com/rawdawgbuffalo.
