Thank You For Saying 'No' to PRO-IP

This past weekend, the House and Senate approved an amended version of the Intellectual Property (IP) enforcement bill, now called the PRO-IP bill. As you’ll recall, we at Public Knowledge have voiced our opposition to this bill numerous times in the past and have even called upon you to make your voice heard. We may not have been able to stop the PRO-IP bill from passing but with the help of our friends we were able to shore up the support of 41 Representatives who voted “no” on the bill. Now, it’s time to thank those brave 41 Representatives, for standing up to the entertainment industry in an election year and fighting the good fight.

Your Letter

I wanted to thank you for your recent "nay" vote on S. 3325, the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights Act of 2008, also known as the "PRO-IP" bill. I find it unfortunate that despite resistance from you and 40 other Representatives, the bill, which furthers the agenda of large media companies at the expense of consumers' rights, managed to pass.

While I am thankful that the bill, as amended, did not contain some of the most troublesome provisions seen in earlier versions (namely, one that would allow the Justice Department to file civil suits against alleged copyright violators on behalf of copyright holders), I am still deeply concerned that the PRO-IP bill only serves to further tip the balance of copyright law toward the wants of large media companies, as opposed to the rights of users. At a time when the entire digital world is moving toward less restrictive distribution models and when the courts are aghast at the outlandish damages being inflicted on consumers in copyright cases, this bill goes entirely in the wrong direction.

Again, I thank you for standing up to Hollywood with regard to the PRO-IP bill and for being the voice of users in the ongoing intellectual property debate. I hope that you continue the good fight and that we can convince my other Congressional representatives to stand with you.

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Thank You For Saying 'No' to PRO-IP

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