The U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation Tuesday night that could put some peer-to-peer file swappers in jail for up to five years. The measure represents the first bill aimed at P2P networks to pass either the House or the Senate.
The Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2003 (H.R. 4077) expands the current definitions of criminal copyright infringement to include “willful” distribution by electronic means of 1,000 or more copyrighted works over a six-month period. The bill carries criminal penalties of up to three years for violations and up to five years if the file swapping is done for financial gain. Second offenders could be jailed for twice that long. “The bill represents new highs and lows of Congressional capitulation to the entertainment industry’s excessive demands,” said Adam Eisgrau, executive director of P2P United, a lobbying group whose members include a number of P2P companies. “Congress is within its rights, but that still doesn’t make it right.”
Source: Internet News
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