Bill · H.R. 10364· House(119-HR-10364)
American Copyright Protection Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 9/14/2026
- Last activity
- 9/14/2026 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Darrell Issa
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is titled the American Copyright Protection Act of 2026. It establishes legal procedures allowing copyright owners to ask a United States district court to declare foreign online locations as foreign piracy sites. Once a site is declared a piracy site, copyright owners can petition the court for orders requiring internet service providers and other named service providers to block access to the site from the United States. The bill outlines rules for service provider compliance, cost reimbursement, liability protections, and motions to modify or terminate blocking orders. It also requires the Register of Copyrights to submit implementation reports to Congress two and five years after the effective date.
Yes
Would business owners be better off under this?+3
Copyright owners and creators benefit from enhanced legal mechanisms to shut down foreign websites engaged in digital piracy.
Does this put more rules on large technology companies?+3
The legislation establishes new judicial procedures and site-blocking mandates for internet service providers and online infrastructure operators.
Does this make it easier to run a small business?+3
The bill provides legal protections and remedies for copyright owners, many of which are small businesses or independent creators, against foreign piracy sites.
The opposite
Does this leave more decisions to the states?-2
The bill explicitly preempts any state, county, municipal, or local law or regulation concerning foreign digital copyright piracy online.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?-2
The blocking of foreign piracy sites carries potential risks of incidental restrictions or mistaken blocks on legitimate online services used by consumers.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Protection for Copyright Owners (Section 1602): Copyright owners can bring an action in a United States district court to obtain a declaration that an accused online service operated outside the United States is a foreign piracy site. This gives creators and owners a legal tool to stop foreign entities from violating their exclusive rights.
-
Reimbursement for Service Providers (Section 1609): A service provider named in a blocking order can file a motion requesting reimbursement by the copyright owner for certain commercially reasonable costs actually and directly incurred to implement the order. This ensures that companies doing the work to block these sites are not unfairly burdened with out-of-pocket expenses.
-
Liability Protections (Section 1610): All service providers named in a blocking order are protected from liability for any injury alleged by a user, petitioner, operator, or third party resulting from actions taken or not taken in good faith to implement the order. This protects companies from being sued simply for following a court order to block a piracy site.
-
Recourse for Unintended Blocked Sites (Section 1606): Operators or users of third-party online services that are accidentally blocked can file a motion to modify the order to restore access and may request a monetary award of up to $250,000 if they show the copyright owner caused an error resulting in their injury. This provides a safety net for innocent websites caught in the crossfire.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Burdens on Internet Access Providers (Section 1604): Service providers named in a blocking order are required to take all commercially reasonable steps to prevent users or subscribers from using their systems or networks to access the foreign piracy site from the United States. Implementing these blocks may require operational adjustments and administrative work for these companies.
-
Potential for Incidental Restrictions (Section 1606): Court orders to block foreign piracy sites carry a potential for incidental harm or interference with online services, or users of online services, other than the foreign piracy site. Users may experience blocked or restricted access to legitimate third-party online services until corrections are made by the court.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Business Owners+3
- Education And Technology
- Increases Big Tech Regulation+3
- Governance And Ideology
- Increase States Rights-2
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Small Business Support+3Improves Consumer Protection-2
- 9/14/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House