IP Czar Issues Recommendations to Congress, Including Wiretaps and Greater Sentences for Infringement

IP Enforcement Coordinator Victoria Espinel has issued a white paper that lists 20 legislative recommendations to Congress for the strengthening of IP enforcment.  The paper recommends increasing prison sentences for the sale of counterfeiting drugs or products sold to military and law enforcement.  It recommends changing the U.S. Sentencing Guideline Range for a number of specific infringements and for “repeat intellectual property offenders.” The paper recommends legislation that clarifies “infringement by streaming, or by means of other similar new technology, is a felony,” and gives law enforcement “authority to seek a wiretap for criminal copyright and trademark offenses.”The White Paper was written as part of the Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement. Although it makes no specific recommendations related to foreign-hosted websites that distribute infringing material, the paper says that the administration is eager to work with Congress on this issue.

For more, see

–          Victoria Espinel’s blog on the recommendations.

–          Administration’s White Paper on Intellectual Property Enforcement Legislative Recommendations

–          Jennifer Martinez’s story in Polico. “White House pushes prison for intellectual property crimes.”