James Rogan: “copyright violations, particularly those via the Internet, are a growing problem. H.R. 1761 the Copyright Damages…”

“copyright violations, particularly those via the Internet, are a growing problem. H.R. 1761 the Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 ensures that changes in federal law keep up with changes in technology. This bill provides an effective deterrent against copyright infringers and Internet privacy. I am pleased to join the chairman of the Courts and Intellectual Property Subcommittee, Mr. Coble, and the gentleman from Virginia Mr. Goodlatte, along with the ranking member of the subcommittee, the gentleman from California Mr. Berman, to make these significant improvements to the Copyright Act and the No Electronic Theft Act. H.R. 1761 will increase the amount of statutory damages available for copyright infringement. Specifically, this bill, as amended, increases existing penalties for infringement by 50%. Further, the bill clarifies Congress' intent that the United States Sentencing Commission consider the retail price of a legitimate infringed-upon work and the quantity of the infringed upon works when determining sentencing guidelines for intellectual property offenses.”