Google mulls divorcing Chamber of Commerce

Google is considering ditching the U.S. Chamber of Commerce out of frustration with its support for legislation that would force Internet companies to police websites that peddle pirated movies and fake Viagra.

The rumblings of a defection — a potentially serious blow to one of Washington’s most powerful lobbies — come weeks after Yahoo left the Chamber in October, largely over its support of Sen. Patrick Leahy’s (D-VT) online piracy bill, the PROTECT IP Act. Sources say is “frustrated” about paying dues to an organization promoting legislation that would “impose new liabilities” on Google. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce fired back at claims that Hollywood is leading the fight for legislation against so-called rogue sites. The anti-IP crowd is “tripping all over themselves trying to pretend (and convince others) that legislation against rogue sites is just for the benefit of Hollywood,” Steve Tepp, chief intellectual property counsel for the Chamber’s Global Intellectual Property Center, wrote. Tepp argued that anti-piracy legislation enjoys backing from plenty of companies outside of Hollywood. He notes that large businesses— such as Caterpillar, Nike and Major League Baseball — as well as smaller companies want Congress to crack down on sites that peddle counterfeit software, fake pharmaceutical drugs, entertainment content and other American-produced goods.