[sigh] it's another Texan making a stupid move, in this case, Lamar Smith (San Antonio).

The Internet regulation bill known as SOPA was decisively defeated in Congress earlier this year after an enormous outcry by activists, but fragments of it are turning up in other bills. One such bill — by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas — appeared this week that would place "intellectual property attachés" all over the world.

These attachés would represent U.S. interests abroad, specializing in copyright and intellectual property issues. The bill describes the attachés' purpose this way:

    (1) to achieve potential benefit by reducing intellectual property infringement in the United States market and globally;

    (2) to advance the intellectual property rights of United States persons and their licensees;

    (3) to work with and advance the interests of United States persons who may otherwise be harmed by violations of intellectual property rights in those countries; and

    (4) to promote the economic interests of the United States and market access by United States persons abroad.

more at the link John provided.


I guess he's going to flood the world with American suits to clobber Internet users.

SRS