House Introduces “The Stop Online Piracy Act”

A bill introduced yesterday (10/26) in the U.S. House of Representatives is designed to combat online piracy with new enforcement tools, which would help boost America’s music industry. The bill, H.R. 3261 The Stop Online Piracy Act, was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and multiple cosponsors. It would “promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. property.”

The initiative is praised by National Music Publishers Association President and CEO David Israelite. He explains, “Current laws tie the hands of both law enforcement and judicial personnel in many instances, to the detriment of American business and consumers. Legislation introduced today in the U.S. House would help fix that, enabling our justice system to go after criminal operatives. The music publishing and songwriting communities support these efforts and urge the entire House to move this important bill forward soon.”