House passes copyright enforcement bill

The House of Representatives has passed legislation that would allow law enforcement authorities to seek the forfeiture of property used in copyright infringement. The Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act, or PRO-IP Act, would also create a new Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement representative, often called a copyright czar, in the White House. The bill would also expand a U.S. Department of Justice program that gives local law enforcement agencies grants to fight computer crimes, including grants for copyright infringement enforcement. The bill allows both civil and criminal forfeitures of property used to commit copyright infringement. The bill was sponsored by Reps John Conyers (D-MI), Howard Berman (D-CA), Lamar Smith (R-TX). It passed the House on a 410-11 vote on Thursday.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/08/House-passes-copyright-enforce...