Senate Passes Toughened Copyright Laws

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate passed two bills on Friday that would carve out a larger role for law enforcers in the entertainment industry's struggle to limit unauthorized copying of its movies and music.

People who secretly videotape movies when they are shown in theaters could face jail time, while hackers and industry insiders who distribute copyrighted works before their official release date would also face stiffened penalties under one bill.

A separate measure would allow prosecutors to file civil suits in copyright cases, rather than criminal suits which require a higher standard of proof.

Copies of hit movies frequently show up on the Internet while they're still in theaters, thanks to pirates who sneak camcorders into movie theaters to tape films directly off the screen or industry insiders who leak copies to tech-savvy hackers.

Under a bill sponsored by Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas and Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, those found guilty of such behavior would face up to three years in prison for a first offense, or five years if it was done for profit. Repeat offenders could spend 10 years behind bars.

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http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/politics/politics-tech-copyright.html