Internet Copyright Protection Strengthened

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Legislation passed Congress and has been sent for Presidential signature that implements two treaties adopted in 1996 by the UN World Intellectual Property Organization. The measure strengthens protection for copyrighted works transmitted on line while ensuring the public still has access to information on the Internet. The bill also addresses to what extent Internet service providers can be held liable for copyright infringement for acts committed by their subscribers. Under the legislation, the providers are not strictly liable, but they are required to remove infringing material if the copyright holder informs them that a subscriber has posted it.