Google fights back against copyright treaty
Google testified in front of the US Commerce Department against the proposed treaty on copyright protection that is being pushed by the recording and movie industry.
Internet companies led by Google Inc. joined groups representing Web users in challenging the Bush administration’s bid to toughen international enforcement against copyright pirates.
Testifying before Commerce Department in Washington today, Google urged the U.S. to exclude from a proposed treaty provisions on the sale of copyrighted movies and music on the Internet. The administration is negotiating the treaty with the European Union, Japan and other nations.
The companies said the U.S. courts and Congress are still working out the correct balance between protecting copyrights and the free exchange of information on the Web and a treaty could be counterproductive. They also said their views deserve equal consideration with those of the movie and recording industries.
