Legal Niches

Congress OKs $30M in Anti-Piracy Resources

By pete_gallagher

The funds include $20.0 million in state and local grants to further the use of high technology in order to thwart Internet piracy, $8.0 million for the FBI to use to hire new agents and $2.0 million for Department of Justice IP prosecutions.

The Hollywood Reporter notes that the funds were authorized under last year's Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act. The bill, designed to 'enhance remedies for violations of intellectual property laws, and for other purposes,' was signed into law by President Bush on October 13, 2008.

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) Chairman and CEO Dan Glickman was pleased with the new funds, saying, 'Congress took a major step forward by providing $30 million in funding for new FBI agents, federal prosecutors, and local and state law enforcement grants to protect American jobs and creativity by cracking down on the theft of movies and other intellectual property.'

The story also details a sting operation called Operation Holiday Hoax, a six-day sting that targeted vendors selling illegal goods in 41 U.S. cities, which resulted in the seizing of 700,000 counterfeit and pirated goods, worth over $26.0 million. 272 tons of counterfeit goods were also snatched in Mexico.

Full post as published by GamePolitics.com on December 16, 2009 (boomark / email).