The Senate Judiciary Committee has passed the PROTECT IP Act, which would grant the US attorney general broad powers to target web sites featuring pirated content and counterfeit goods.
The bill was introduced May 12 and was passed by the committee today on a unanimous voice vote.
The US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Intellectual Property Center (GIPC) and the Copyright Alliance both praised the vote.
“Rogue sites and their operators contribute nothing to the US economy,” said David Hirschmann, president and CEO of the Chamber’s GIPC. He continued: “Today’s vote serves as a wakeup call to those who illicitly profit at the expense of American businesses and consumers—the US will not tolerate your careless, reckless, malicious behavior."
The bill will now move to the Senate floor. The House of Representatives has held hearings on rogue sites, but has yet to introduce legislation.