Lawmakers Push Prison For Online Pirates

Most file sharers say that there is nothing wrong with downloading free music as long as it is for personal use, according to a Harris Interactive survey conducted in January.

That would change under the bill, which says that anyone who knowingly makes 1,000 or more copyrighted works available in their "shared" folder on a file-sharing network would be guilty of criminal copyright infringement.

At that threshold, many file swappers could face criminal penalties. The average college student has 1,100 illegally copied music files on his/or her computer, according to a survey of more than 1,000 students published this month by Ruckus Network, a Boston-based company that offers legal downloads.

Critics of the bill warned that it could be a dangerous move for Congress to make during an election year.

"Congress needs to think real carefully about whether it wants 12-year olds hauled away in handcuffs for making files available over peer to peer networks," said Gigi Sohn, president of Public Knowledge, a Washington-based civil liberties group. Sohn added that there was "much to be commended in the bill, including the subcommittee's willingness to protect fair-use rights of consumers to use copyrighted material."

The RIAA itself became the target of public outrage when its legal blitz snared underage school children and grandparents suspected of trading copyrighted files online.

Adam Eisgrau, the executive director of P2P United, a lobbying group for file-sharing networks, said he will fight against the bill.

"P2P United has limited resources, particularly compared to the armies successfully deployed by copyright industries, [but] if the public makes itself heard, we are optimistic that the tide can be turned," Eisgrau said.

The bill still must be approved by the Judiciary Committee and the full House of Representatives before going to the Senate.