Congress Next in Copyright Tiffs

Congress Next in Copyright Tiffs by Declan McCullagh "When the outcome of the Napster case comes out, the losing side is going to be all over Capitol Hill next session and there will be your legislative battle," said Robert Kruger, vice president of enforcement at the Business Software Alliance. Kruger's remarks came Monday, on the first day of a two-day international intellectual property conference organized by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The Napster file-trading service has been sued in federal court in San Francisco for alleged copyright infringement. Last Friday, the Clinton administration sided with the entertainment industry against Napster by submitting an amicus brief to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Amendments to U.S. copyright law -- helping or hurting Napster -- normally proceed through the House and Senate Judiciary committees. Congress is expected to adjourn in early October and meet again after the election in January 2001. In July, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said he hoped both sides would benefit from "creative cooperation."