On a September 21 voice vote, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill to raise jail time up to seven years if you're an identity thief or register a Website fraudulently.
"The government must play a greater role in detecting those who conceal their identities online," said Rep. Lamar Smith, (R-Texas), the bill's author. The bill, which does not directly outlaw using fraudulent registration information, now goes to the Senate.
A 2003 study showed that up to ten percent of the Internet's registered domain names may be registered under fake identities.
The House bill also sets fines and jail time for those who use legitimate-looking labels to trick consumers into buying pirated music and software and other copyright works.
"Counterfeiting has become a highly profitable and largely illicit risk-free business,” Smith said. “These crimes lead to lost jobs and are a direct hit on our economy. [This bill] will close a loophole that has made it impossible for prosecutors to bring charges against counterfeiters. It empowers federal authorities to prosecute counterfeiting activity on a greater scale with better results.”
