Senators say bill targeting rogue websites will pass this year

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee predicted at a hearing on that Congress would pass a bill this year targeting websites that traffic in counterfeit or pirated goods.

“Copyright piracy and the sale of counterfeit goods are reported to cost the American economy billions of dollars annually and hundreds of thousands of lost jobs," said Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT), who plans to introduce an updated version of the online piracy bill the committee passed last year. "That is why inaction is not an option, and we must pass online infringement legislation in this Congress before rogue websites harm more businesses and result in more lost jobs." Chairman Leahy said he was convinced the bill would pass this year, but acknowledged that it had attracted criticism from people who said it doesn't go far enough and some who worry the bill gives the Justice Department too much power to seize domain names without adequate oversight. Google and Yahoo came under fire from lawmakers for nixing invitations to testify at the hearing on rogue websites -- with Sen Tom Coburn (R-OK) even threatening to slap Google with a subpoena.