Kirk Watson: “I rise in support of S. 167, the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005, which strengthens our Nation's…”

“I rise in support of S. 167, the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005, which strengthens our Nation's intellectual property rights system and further protects and rewards our Nation's artists for their creative products. I supported this bill during the last Congress, and I look forward to seeing its eventual enactment in the coming weeks. This bill closes several significant gaps in our copyright laws that have contributed to the epidemic of digital piracy today. It outlaws camcording of movies off of theater screens by making it a Federal crime. It also empowers judges to impose up to 5-year prison terms for persons convicted of distributing copyrighted songs and movies on file-sharing networks for financial gain. I believe these provisions create crucial tools to combat the theft and redistribution of valuable intellectual property. With our movie industry losing about $3 billion to piracy every year, it is time that Congress demonstrates its support for our Nation's creators and artists by strengthening protection of copyrighted products. In addition, the bill strengthens our Nation's film heritage by reauthorizing the National Film Preservation Board and the National Film Preservation Foundation that have worked successfully to preserve historically or culturally significant films. Their fine work will ensure our collective artistic heritage will be preserved for generations to come.…”