Adam Schiff: “I rise in support of H.R. 4077, the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2004, as amended today by the chairman of the…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 4077, the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2004, as amended today by the chairman of the Committee on the Judiciary. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to pass this important and worthy piece of legislation. Prior to reporting H.R. 4077 by voice vote earlier this month, the Committee on the Judiciary gave this bill great deliberation. This bill and its precursors, H.R. 2517 and H.R. 2752, were the subject of several subcommittee hearings and a subcommittee markup. Through the extensive process given to this bill, the Committee on the Judiciary crafted a measure that makes important contributions and advances in the fight against widespread electronic theft of copyrighted works. Intellectual property theft has become a rampant and serious threat to the livelihoods of all copyright creators. Digital technologies like the CD burner, the Internet, and the MP3 audio-compression standard, while enhancing the consumer experience, have greatly facilitated copyright theft and led to an explosion in its prevalence. Studies indicate that at any given time more than 850 million copyright-infringing files are being illegally offered for distribution through just one peer-to-peer, file-swapping network.”