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WASHINGTON, D.C.-- Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee said they want Google to appear before them to discuss upcoming antipiracy legislation as well as complaints from some copyright owners that the search company is in a position to profit from the illegal sharing of copyrighted works.
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the committee's chairman, invited a Google, Verizon and The Authors Guild and other companies with a stake in the online copyright fight to appear to give their views about legislation Leahy is preparing to reintroduce in the Senate this year.
Google declined to appear.
In the company's absence, the other witnesses and committee members were highly critical of Google. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said not only was he disappointed that Google didn't show, but he suggested he would use the committee's subpoena power to compel the company to testify in the future.
Leahy's bill, the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), is designed to speed up the legal process of shutting down U.S. sites accused of illegally trafficking in intellectual property. For overseas sites suspected of illegally distributing copyrighted material, the legislation would hand the government the power to order ad networks, payment transaction companies, and Internet service providers to cut financial ties with the sites, or in the case of ISPs, block the sites from being accessed in this country.
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Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the committee's chairman, invited a Google, Verizon and The Authors Guild and other companies with a stake in the online copyright fight to appear to give their views about legislation Leahy is preparing to reintroduce in the Senate this year.
Google declined to appear.
In the company's absence, the other witnesses and committee members were highly critical of Google. Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said not only was he disappointed that Google didn't show, but he suggested he would use the committee's subpoena power to compel the company to testify in the future.
Leahy's bill, the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), is designed to speed up the legal process of shutting down U.S. sites accused of illegally trafficking in intellectual property. For overseas sites suspected of illegally distributing copyrighted material, the legislation would hand the government the power to order ad networks, payment transaction companies, and Internet service providers to cut financial ties with the sites, or in the case of ISPs, block the sites from being accessed in this country.
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