PIRACY BILL CREATES STRICTER PENALTIES

Senator Gibbs’ bill ups illegal recordings fine
to a Class 6 for repeat offenders

DENVER— Today the Senate Judiciary Committee voted on Senate Bill 08-104 sponsored by Sen. Dan Gibbs (D-Silverthorne) to increase penalties for music piracy.

The bill increases the penalty for selling illegally packaged recordings to a Class 6 felony if the offense involves more than 100 articles or the person has already been convicted of the same crime. This bill allows law enforcement to confiscate the recordings and any equipment used to make them and turn them over to the local district attorney.

The district attorney may request a court order to destroy the recordings and a court order to allow for the equipment to be donated to a charitable or educational organization. Under current law, it is a Class 1 misdemeanor to sell illegally packaged recorded materials.

“The loss to our small businesses is staggering,” Gibbs said. “My hope is to restore the estimated $8.1 tax revenue of lost music sales in Colorado and restore the 518 jobs piracy takes from hardworking people.”

With this law, offenders are liable to felony prosecution thus giving Colorado law enforcement agencies the legal tools needed to create an impact against music piracy.

The bill moves to Finance Committee next for consideration.