In March, the United States House of Representatives approved legislation that would ban online piracy, and also block the flow of funds from foreign countries.
That same month, the White House announced a plan to put a lid on the flow and the profits of copyright holders, which it said would help curb online piracy and protect the Internet as a whole.
The bill also would give the Department of Commerce the authority to regulate foreign websites and online platforms that are engaged in illegal copyright infringement.
These efforts, which were part of the Obama administration’s Copyright Modernization Act, were supposed to happen this summer, but were delayed.
As the Trump administration’s copyright policies evolve, the Copyright Modernisation Act has become a hot topic, with critics of the bill, including members of Congress, calling it a dangerous proposal that could undermine free speech and innovation online.
The bills have drawn bipartisan opposition, with many tech companies, Internet providers and content creators calling the bills’ proposals a bad idea that would hurt their business and undermine free expression.
Here are five things to know about the legislation and the potential changes it could bring to the world of copyright: Who is in favor of the bills?
The bills that were passed by Congress were overwhelmingly supported by the American people.
They were supported by both parties, with 90 percent of Republicans supporting the legislation, according to a May study by the Pew Research Center.
The legislation also received a mixed response from internet providers, with some saying they would not enforce the measures against their customers, while others said they would.
The Copyright Modernity Act is currently before Congress and has not yet been approved by the Senate.
Here’s what you need to know to know.
What does it do?
The Copyright Reform Act is expected to be signed into law in the next two weeks.
The act would prohibit copyright infringement through a set of laws that include the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), which is currently being challenged in court, and the Digital Trade Agreement (DTA), which has been stalled in Congress.
The Digital Trade Act would also impose stricter penalties for copyright infringement, such as up to five years in prison for repeat copyright infringement offenders, up to a $500,000 fine for a first offense and up to $750,000 for repeat offenders.
The other bills that are expected to become law include the Protection of Digital Performances Act, which would expand the definition of a “work,” including videos and images, to include any digital content, and expand the types of copyrighted works that could be copied and redistributed, and would also block websites that sell copyrighted content.
What do opponents say about the bills and the changes they could bring?
In an April report, the Internet Association, the trade group for internet providers and internet service providers, said the bills would be detrimental to the future of the internet and the Internet economy.
The industry argues that it has suffered due to the “toxic and discriminatory environment” created by the DMCA, the DMCA’s predecessor, and that the bills have not had a significant impact on piracy.
But a coalition of organizations, including the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of American, argued that the legislation is an outdated relic that does not address the current threats posed by online piracy.
“The Digital Millennium copyright bill was passed over a decade ago, and has proven to be an ineffective copyright enforcement tool that is more than a decade behind the times,” the groups wrote in a March 10 letter.
“While we support the Copyright Reform act, we believe that the new bill lacks the necessary tools to protect against copyright infringement and to help protect online performers from unfair takedowns and counterfeiting.”
What does the White house say?
In a March 11 statement, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that the president has “serious concerns about the new DMCA bill” and “reiterated his longstanding position that this is a bill that we should not be supporting.”
He added that he believes the bill “is in keeping with the spirit of the Digital Century,” which was launched in the 1980s.
“It is time to modernize copyright law and address the problem of online piracy,” Earnest added.
“We will continue to work with Congress and with our allies to advance this vital reform.”