The PRO-IP Act is back, in a sense. Recently, the Senate introduced a new version of its IP enforcement bill, which would increase penalties for a range of infringements, and give content holders and the government new powers in pursuing alleged infringers. The new bill is scheduled for consideration by the Senate Judiciary Committee tomorrow, meaning that it may well pass the Senate, and then Congress as a whole in this abbreviated session.
The Senate bill, S. 3325, shares a lot of features with the House's PRO-IP bill, but it also adds a few new twists. Among them are a provision allowing the Justice Department to file civil suits against infringers and increasing the forfeiture penalties for circumventing DRM.
Public Knowledge, alongside a coalition of library groups and public interest organizations, has sent a letter laying out some of our problems with the bill. In addition to the aforementioned civil enforcement provision, the letter mentions possible problems with its forfeiture provisions and a new ability to impound records relating to alleged copyright infringements. Read it here.
The bill is still undergoing amendments, and with some luck, it may improve, or be delayed long enough for eventual improvements to be made.