US to target foreign websites in anti-piracy push

The US will go after foreign websites that pirate American music and movies as part of a new strategy to stop sales of counterfeit and pirated goods at home and abroad, Vice President Joe Biden said Tuesday.

"This is theft, clear and simple," Biden said at a meeting with Attorney General Eric Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and other Cabinet officials.

"It's smash and grab, no different than a guy walking down Fifth Avenue and smashing the window at Tiffany's and reaching in and grabbing what's in the window," Biden said, referring to the jewelry store in New York City.

US businesses estimate they lose billions of dollars each year to piracy and counterfeiting of items including films and music. They also blame the illegal trade for hundreds of thousands of lost US jobs.

"It is especially critical that the United States has an effective framework for protecting creative content online and enforcing intellectual property rights in the digital environment," said Bob Pisano, interim chief executive officer at the Motion Picture Association of America.

US computer and video game makers also cheered the promise of tougher enforcement.

The plan, mandated by Congress in 2008, also includes steps to ensure the federal government does not buy counterfeit goods. Biden framed that issue as a matter of both safety and national security, noting the risk of sending soldiers into combat with counterfeit Kevlar vests.

The strategy also includes new steps aimed at stopping the importation of counterfeit goods.

Reuters