The "Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2003" is legislation that the FBI believes is the first step toward eliminating the illegal practice of sharing copyrighted material. The bill orders the FBI to develop a deterrence program and facilitate information sharing among law enforcement agencies, Internet service providers and copyright owners of information. We agree that the FBI must work together with the private sector, and we agree that education and deterrence are the first two moves in this war on intellectual property theft. We hope you will be pleased to know that the FBI has been working on this problem for quite some time. The FBI and the Recording Industry Association of America are now in the final stages of completing a Memorandum of Understanding regarding the FBI Intellectual Property Rights Warning Program. This MOU allows for the Recording Industry's use of the FBI seal in the same way that it has been used as a warning on videotapes, DVDs and movies for years.
We have also drafted a document titled: "An Open Letter Regarding Illegal Uses and Vulnerabilities Associated with Peer to Peer Networks." This document will serve as the first step in educating users and parents of users of peer to peer networks. We will distribute this document nationwide, and it will be posted on the FBI's website. The letter leave no doubt as to the illegality of sharing copyrighted works without authorization and distributing child pornography or obscene material over the internet. The letter also addresses the vulnerabilities exposed when using P2P networks.
Investigation of intellectual property rights violations is only a small part of what the Cyber Division is charged with accomplishing. The FBI is in a unique position to respond to cyber crimes, because it is the only Federal agency that has the statutory authority, expertise, and ability to combine the counterterrorism, counterintelligence, and criminal resources needed to effectively neutralize, mitigate, and disrupt illegal computer-supported operations.
Who Will Try Iraqi War Criminals?
Explainer thanks Ruth Wedgwood, professor of International Law and Diplomacy at John Hopkins University and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; David Phillips, deputy director of the Center for Preventative Action and senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; and Reed Brody, special counsel for Human Rights Watch.