Tech Firms Fight Antipiracy Bill
Leading technology companies including Google Inc. and eBay Inc. are stepping up efforts to block a bill in Congress that Hollywood studios say would clamp down on foreign websites selling pirated movies and other goods.
Ahead of a House hearing Wednesday, nine tech companies sent a letter Tuesday to congressional leaders saying the legislation would “expose law-abiding U.S. Internet and technology companies to new uncertain liabilities.”
The bill would let the U.S. attorney general seek court orders requiring U.S. Internet sites and search engines to take reasonable measures to block access to other websites carrying pirated material. That could compel them to block domain names and search results featuring those sites.