U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy has been seeking input from Google and other companies ahead of a Senate hearing on February 16 for the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), a bill proposed late last year. The bill would require Internet service providers to actively participate in preventing online piracy. Senator Leahy invited Google, Visa, Verizon, and other companies to testify at the Senate hearing, but so far only Visa and Verizon have accepted the invitation. In addition to new regulations for Internet service providers, the legislation also would facilitate the government’s ability to shut down web sites linked to online piracy and copyright infringement, in part by giving the Department of Justice the authority to shut down access to overseas sites. “The proposed legislation already has been amended to appease critics concerned with granting the government too much authority over Internet service providers and domains,” says Keli Johnson, an attorney with Scott & Scott, LLP. “The bill has support from copyright owners seeking to protect their work online. However, it may yet be modified further to avoid overly burdensome the requirements for Internet service providers.” For more information, please contact Ms. Johnson at 800-596-6176 or KJohnson@scottandscottllp.com.