Tech Firms Concerned About Induce Act
Posted on July 24, 2004
The Induce Act, sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch, is a new law that would make it illegal to intentionally induce copyright infringement. The law could have serious implications for software companies that design products that end up being used to swap illegal material.
CNET reports that a letter signed by CNET Networks, eBay, Google, Intel, MCI, TiVo, Verizon, Sun Microsystems and Yahoo said the The Induce Act "would chill innovation and drive investment in technology." Those are some big tech companies that should be taken seriously. CNET says Marybeth Peters, the U.S. Register of Copyrights, is planning on supporting the bill. She claims it is an "important improvement over existing law."
A Wired article on the Induce Act says that critics are concerned recent developments like peer-to-peer networks and the iPod could be illegal under the new law. Let's hope the law fails to pass.
