We previously told you about the Copyright Alert System (CAS), a voluntary collaboration between internet service providers (ISPs) like Comcast, Time Warner and AT&T and copyright owners in the music and movie/TV industries. read more

Today, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA) presented to the public draft legislation that presents an alternative to earlier bills aimed at combatting “rogue websites.”

While the goal of the new legislation — to combat foreign websites that traffic in counterfeit or unauthorized US intellectual property — is similar to earlier proposals, it offers an entirely different mechanism for dealing with these infringing sites. The new bill is called the Online Protection & ENforcement of Digital Trade Act, or OPEN. These names are really something else, aren’t they? read more

Over the past few weeks, the wonkier neighborhoods of the internet have been buzzing about a new bill introduced by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) that would make illegal streaming of copyrighted works a felony. Most of the bill’s critics worry that the amendments would allow the government to throw YouTube users, online video game tournament streamers and other seemingly minor infringers in jail. We at FMC feel that even though the bill would likely have less impact on musicians than it would on fans internet users in general, it’s important to describe what’s actually, you know, in the bill. Because not all of what you might hear is accurate. read more