An important legislative proposal, H.R. 4279, the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act (PRO-IP), which is good news for US businesses that depend on intellectual property took another step forward as a congressional subcommittee voted in a bi-partisan show of support to send it to the full committee.

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) chairman and CEO Dan Glickman commended the leadership of the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet and Intellectual Property for advancing this legislation, which will help protect America's businesses, workers and consumers. The MPAA serves as the film industry's primary agency for combating copyright theft.

"Intellectual property is the lifeblood of many US businesses and industries and it helps keep our economy strong," Glickman said. "We appreciate the leadership of Chairmen Conyers and Berman and of Representatives Smith and Coble. Their efforts to strengthen enforcement measures are appreciated and needed to protect the many American business sectors and American workers that depend on intellectual property."

Glickman noted that in the motion picture industry alone, film theft costs foreign and domestic distributors, retailers and others $18 billion a year, not to mention the loss of more than 100,000 American jobs.

The PRO-IP Act strengthens civil and criminal intellectual property laws, ensures that federal law enforcement will have much needed resources, creates an office of intellectual property within the White House, and adds new international enforcement representatives around the world. The bill will now move to a vote in the full House Judiciary Committee.