Introduced in September by Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy and senior Republican member Orrin Hatch, COICA was unanimously approved by the Committee, and will be sent to the full Senate for consideration. (WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The US Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a controversial bill that would give the authorities dramatic new copyright enforcement powers allowing it to take down entire domains “dedicated to online piracy” rather than just targeting files that actually infringe copyright law. The bipartisan Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (or COICA) also provides law enforcement with tools to stop often foreign-owned and operated sites selling counterfeit goods ranging from new movie and music releases, to pharmaceuticals and consumer products.






