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"By adding music and video piracy to the list of offenses tracked by the state’s High Technology Theft Apprehension Prosecution Program (HTTAPP)," Sherman added, "this law will help with enforcement efforts for these serious crimes that threaten California’s important entertainment industry."
——RIAA Prexy Cary Sherman

RIAA TO GET SEAT ON CALIFORNIA’S HIGH-TECH CRIME COMMITTEE

Legislation to be Signed by Gov. Davis Adds Music Piracy to List of Law-Enforcement Priorities
California Assembly Bill 1277, or "An act to amend Sections 14998.2 and 14998.4 of, to add Sections 14998.11 and 14998.12 to, and to add Chapter 1.4 (commencing with Section 15363.60) to Part 6.7 of Division 3 of Title 2 of, the Government Code, and to add Section 13848.8 to the Penal Code, relating to commissions and committees," as it is more commonly known, has been passed by the California legislature and is expected to be signed into law by California Governor Gray Davis (yes, he’s still governor).

Why should you care, you ask? Well, AB1277, sponsored by Assemblywoman Rebecca Cohn (D-Saratoga), accomplishes a number of things: In addition to transferring administrative authority over the California Film Commission from the soon-to-be-abolished Technology, Trade, and Commerce Agency to the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency (aren’t you glad you asked?), the bill addresses music piracy in two ways.

According to the California Legislative Counsel’s digest, once the bill becomes law, the Executive Director of the state’s High Technology Crime Advisory Committee will appoint a representative of the RIAA to sit on the committee. A member of the Consumers Union will also get a seat, but we won’t talk about that.

The new RIAA seat on the High-Tech Crime Committee goes hand-in-hand with another of the bill’s provisions, which will formally identify music piracy in all its many forms (including transportation of bootlegs) as a priority for law enforcement attention. Hey, it’s a start. Better hire some more cops.

Said RIAA President Cary Sherman of the bill’s passage, "We appreciate the efforts of Assemblywoman Cohn and Governor Davis in focusing on the important issue of music piracy and how it is affecting tens of thousands of Californians who work in the music industry. Thousands of California artists, songwriters, background musicians, record store owners, studio engineers and others are losing their jobs because of the devastating effect that music piracy is having on the California music industry."

"By adding music and video piracy to the list of offenses tracked by the state’s High Technology Theft Apprehension Prosecution Program (HTTAPP)," Sherman added, "this law will help with enforcement efforts for these serious crimes that threaten California’s important entertainment industry. And thank goodness I can't be recalled by voters."

California’s High Technology Crime Advisory Committee was "established for the purpose of formulating a comprehensive written strategy for addressing high technology crime and to advise the agency or agencies designated by the Director of Finance on the appropriate disbursement of funds to regional task forces."

Whew! How can we get our grimy mits on some o’ them funds?

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