Portal:Telecom, Media and Intellectual Property Policy (U.S.)/In the news


 * Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) made plans on Jul. 12 to introduce legislation to require that violent television programming be shown only after 10 p.m..


 * The House passed legislation which would ban the FCC from using public funds to enforce the Fairness Doctrine on Jun. 28.


 * The Federal Trade Commission issued a report denying the importance of network neutrality regulation on Jun. 27.


 * Attorney General Alberto Gonzales proposed the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2007 to Congress May 14. The legislation would increase penalties for copyright infringement, provide law enforcement with greater power to prevent internet piracy, and criminalize attempted copyright infringement.


 * Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) introduced the FAIR USE Act of 2007, which would allow individuals seeking to make fair use of movies and songs the ability to crack digital locks for non-infringing purposes, on Feb. 27.


 * Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) introduced the PERFORM Act on Jan. 25, which sought to protect the music industry from piracy by limiting the ability to record digital radio broadcasts.


 * The Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2007, which had the purpose of entering network neutrality into law, was introduced by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and then referred to committee on Jan. 9.


 * Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas) introduced the Copyright Modernization Act of 2006 on Sept. 12, 2006, which would provide for licensing of digital delivery of musical works and create stricter orphan works laws.


 * The House passed the COPE Act which would give the FCC the authority to prohibit discrimination and enforce network neutrality on June 8, 2006.


 * Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) introduced the Internet Freedom Preservation Act On May 19, 2006, which would prohibit internet service providers from interfering with the ability of any person to use broadband service in a lawful manner.


 * Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) introduced the the Communications, Consumers’ Choice, and Broadband Deployment Act of 2006, a stricter version of the COPE Act which would address issues of network neutrality, on May 5th, 2006.


 * Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) introduced The Audio Broadcast Licensing Act of 2006 on March 2, 2006, which would authorize the FCC to mandate copy-prevention technology in digital and satellite audio receivers as well as download services in order to protect content owners from piracy.


 * Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) introduced the Public Domain Enhancement Act, which would have required any register of copyrights to pay a $1 fee every year to maintain the copyright, on May 15, 2005.