The Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Internet, while changing the way our society communicates, has also changed the nature of many crimes, including the theft of intellectual property.
(2) Trafficking in infringing copyrighted works through increasingly sophisticated electronic means, including peer-to-peer file trading networks, Internet chat rooms, and news groups, threatens lost jobs, lost income for creators, lower tax revenue, and higher prices for honest purchasers.
(3) The most popular peer-to-peer file trading software programs have been downloaded by computer users over 200,000,000 times. At any one time there are over 3,000,000 users simultaneously using just one of these services. Each month, on average, over 2,300,000,000 digital-media files are transferred among users of peer-to-peer systems.
(4) Many computer users simply believe that they will not be caught or prosecuted for their conduct.
(5) The security and privacy threats posed by certain peer-to-peer networks extend beyond users inadvertently enabling a hacker to access files. Millions of copies of one of the most popular peer-to-peer networks contain software that could allow an independent company to take over portions of users` computers and Internet connections and has the capacity to keep track of users` online habits.
(6) In light of these considerations, Federal law enforcement agencies should actively pursue criminals who steal the copyrighted works of others, and prevent such activity through enforcement and awareness. The public should be educated about the security and privacy risks associated with being connected to certain peer-to-peer networks. |
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