TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) _ A bill to combat Internet piracy of music and movies is heading to Gov. Rick Scott for consideration, despite opposition from some of the nation’s biggest Internet companies.
The bill (SB 604) passed in the Florida House Friday and had previously passed the Senate. It requires websites that sell commercial music and movies to post identification and contact information on their sites.
Backers say it’s merely a consumer protection measure to help prevent piracy, save consumers from viruses and identity theft and fraud associated with buying pirated material online.
But critics _ including search engine companies like Google and Internet service providers _ say it’s an unconstitutional attempt by the state to regulate the Internet. They say it will make them vulnerable to being dragged into court to help enforce the law.
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