Fighting Movie Piracy Seen Likely to Swamp U.S. Trade Agency

A draft bipartisan plan has emerged that has been touted as an alternative to the current Hill plan which is backed by Hollywood studios and the recording industry. The plan would give the International Trade Commission (ITC) new powers against foreign websites accused of trafficking in pirated content and counterfeit goods rather than allow the Justice Department to seek court orders requiring Internet-service providers, search engines, payment processors, and ad networks to block or cease business with foreign websites linked to piracy, as is outlined in the current legislation before the House and Senate. In a recent interview, Finnegan partner Smith Brittingham IV said, “The ITC cannot add many more proceedings to its already crowded docket…They’ve been doing some studies on digital rights, but it is not the bread and butter of the ITC’s current group of professionals