PROTECT IP Act

PROTECT IP Act
Great Seal of the United States
Long titlePreventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011
Acronyms (colloquial)PIPA
Legislative history

The PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act, or PIPA) was a proposed law with the stated goal of giving the US government and copyright holders additional tools to curb access to "rogue websites dedicated to the sale of infringing or counterfeit goods", especially those registered outside the U.S.[1] The bill was introduced on May 12, 2011, by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and 11 bipartisan co-sponsors.[2] The Congressional Budget Office estimated that implementation of the bill would cost the federal government $47 million through 2016, to cover enforcement costs and the hiring and training of 22 new special agents and 26 support staff.[3] The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill, but Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) placed a hold on it.[4]

The PROTECT IP Act is a re-write of the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA),[5] which failed to pass in 2010. A similar House version of the bill, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), was introduced on October 26, 2011.[6]

In the wake of online protests held on January 18, 2012, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that a vote on the bill would be postponed until issues raised about the bill were resolved.[7][8][9]

  1. ^ "Senate bill amounts to death penalty for Web sites". CNet. May 12, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  2. ^ "S. 968: Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011". GovTrack. Retrieved May 22, 2011.
  3. ^ CBO Scores PROTECT IP Act; The Hill; August 19, 2011
  4. ^ Wyden, Ron. "Overreaching Legislation Still Poses a Significant Threat to Internet Commerce, Innovation and Free Speech". Sovereign. Retrieved May 28, 2011.
  5. ^ "Americans face piracy website blocking". BBC. May 13, 2011. Retrieved May 24, 2011.
  6. ^ Stop Online Piracy Act, 112th Cong., October 26, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
  7. ^ Weisman, Jonathan (January 20, 2012). "After an Online Firestorm, Congress Shelves Antipiracy Bills". NY Times. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  8. ^ Stephanie Condon (January 20, 2012), "PIPA, SOPA put on hold in wake of protests" CBS News
  9. ^ Chozick, Amy (July 9, 2012). "Tech and Media Elite Are Likely to Debate Piracy". New York Times. Retrieved July 10, 2012.