Bipartisan legislation takes aim at online piracy

In a little-noticed bipartisan effort, House Republicans and Senate Democrats have agreed to press for new laws to crack down on "rogue websites" that sell pirated copies of movies, TV shows, music and video games or counterfeit goods like sportswear and prescription drugs.

"What these rogue websites do is theft, pure and simple," said Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. "They are no more than digital stores selling stolen property. The Internet needs to be free and open — not lawless." These days, watching a free movie can be as easy as typing the words "watch movies" or "free movies" on Google. "With just five clicks following a basic Google search, anyone can be streaming a stolen copy of almost any film," Frederick Huntsberry, chief operating officer of Paramount Pictures, told a House committee last month. Lawmakers are considering proposals that would authorize the Justice Department to quickly obtain court orders to shut down websites that sell pirated copies. Other measures would target credit card companies and advertisers that do business with the pirates. Google Inc. could be a target as well.