Good morning.  Let me begin by thanking Senator Coleman for holding this hearing and bringing to the attention of this Committee a variety of issues relating to the Internet that are very interesting and quite complex.

The Internet has been a wonderful creation for our society.  It allows us to instantly communicate with our family, friends, and loved-ones all over the world.  We are able to shop from home and gain access to an unlimited amount of information in a very short period of time.  However, the Internet has also raised many challenges for society not the least of which involves trying to apply laws meant for activities bounded by space and time to the Internet, which is bounded by neither.  Freedom of speech, taxation, copyright protection, and run-of-the-mill fraud are just a few of the legal issues that the Internet has made very complicated.

Today, we will look at issues relating to illegal file sharing of the entertainment industry’s copyrighted material that is available on the Internet, specifically the use of peer-to-peer networks.

This is not a new issue.  It was not that long ago that Napster was making headlines and causing severe headaches within the music industry as millions of people were downloading music from the Internet for free.  And though the original version of Napster has been shut down, it appears the problem is even more serious today.  Without question, the music industry as well as other entertainment sectors have suffered financially from illegal copying of their material, especially over the Internet.  The record industry has recently taken strong legal actions to fight and prevent the illegal file sharing of its copyrighted material.  I can understand the industry’s frustration.  But so, too, I have concerns about a strategy that targets individuals, often children, for enforcement action.

A fundamental issue that needs to be addressed is the notion, so prevalent across society, if you can find it on the Internet, you can have it.  The Internet is a great thing but it should not be seen or used as a vehicle to evade today’s laws.  It is going to take common sense enforcement of our current laws and potentially new laws, and education to begin the process of teaching our society again that the Internet is not immune from basic property laws. 

Protecting copyrighted material from piracy is not easy, especially when that material is on the Internet.  Our laws protect copyright owners; but we need to find a sensible way to enforce them on the Internet.  Education is one promising area; technological advances is another.

I look forward to listening to our witnesses today.  I am certain they will be able to shed some light on these very complicated issues and offer ideas as to how we might be able to find some resolution.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.