The bill would let copyright owners and exclusive licensees ask a federal district court to designate certain foreign online locations as digital piracy sites. A court must find likely copyright violations and likely irreparable harm, along with other conditions. After a site is designated, the petitioner may ask the court to order certain broadband providers and large public domain name resolution services to take reasonable steps to block access to it from the United States. Providers and site operators may contest the requests, and orders have time limits. The bill would take effect 180 days after enactment.
If a court issues an order, users in the United States may be unable to access the designated site through a service provider covered by the order. The bill allows a provider to tell subscribers that access was denied under a court order. It does not require a specific blocking method.
The bill does not state an overall cost. A service provider may ask the court to require the petitioner to pay reasonable, direct costs of complying with an order. The request cannot include capital expenses, infrastructure, overhead, or attorneys’ fees.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.