These questions are culled from phone calls, letters, faxes and e-mails sent to Rep. Gallegly's Camarillo, Solvang, and Washington offices. Each week Rep. Gallegly adds another question and answer. Please add your comments.
December 9, 2011
Question: Do you support H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act?
Answer: I am a cosponsor of H.R. 3261, which would help stop intellectual property (IP) theft. American IP industries provide 19 million high-paying jobs to the U.S. economy and account for more than 60 percent of U.S. exports.
Unfortunately, rogue websites originating from outside of the United States sell counterfeit goods to consumers here in the U.S. and around the world. These websites not only hurt our economy, but rogue websites that sell products like prescription drugs and car parts actually threaten consumer safety.
H.R. 3261 allows the Attorney General to seek injunctions against foreign websites that steal and sell American innovations and products. The attorney general must go to a federal judge and lay out the case against the site. If the judge agrees, a court order will be issued that authorizes the Justice Department to request that the site be blocked.
The bill increases criminal penalties for individuals who traffic in counterfeit medicine and military goods, which put innocent civilians and American soldiers at risk. And it improves coordination between IP enforcement agencies in the United States.
For more information on my positions on Crime & Justice issues, please see my Key Issue: Crime & Justice page.
For previous Questions of the Week chronologically and by topic, please see my Questions of the Week page.
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