Bill · S. 5529· Senate(119-S-5529)
DEFEND IP Act
- Introduced
- 9/24/2026
- Last activity
- 9/24/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Thomas Tillis
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill allows copyright owners and exclusive licensees to petition a United States district court to officially designate a foreign online location as a foreign digital piracy site. If the court grants this designation and certain requirements are met, the petitioner can ask for a subsequent order directing internet service providers and public domain name resolution services to take reasonable measures to prevent users in the United States from accessing the piracy site. Service providers can be ordered to implement these access blocks, but they are given specific legal immunities and can request payment for their compliance costs from the petitioner. The legislation outlines processes for foreign site operators and service providers to contest these petitions in court. Additionally, the Register of Copyrights is required to make all related court orders publicly available on the Copyright Office website.
Yes
Would business owners be better off under this?+5
Copyright owners and exclusive licensees benefit from enhanced legal tools to combat foreign digital piracy sites harming their commercial interests.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+3
The bill requires the Register of Copyrights to make all related court orders publicly available on the Copyright Office website.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection for Copyright Owners: Under Section 502A(b)(1), owners or exclusive licensees of copyrighted material or live events can petition courts to stop foreign digital piracy sites from injuring their rights, helping protect their creative work and commercial interests.
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Reimbursement for Compliance Costs: Under Section 502A(c)(10)(A), service providers compelled to block a site can move to have the petitioner pay the reasonable costs directly incurred to comply with the order, easing financial burdens on these companies.
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Service Provider Legal Immunity: Under Section 502A(e)(1), service providers are granted immunity from liability for good-faith actions taken to implement these court orders or rely on information provided by the petitioner, protecting them from lawsuits by users or third parties.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Potential Access Restrictions for Everyday Users: Under Section 502A(c)(1), internet users in the United States may find their access blocked to certain foreign online locations if service providers are ordered to prevent access to designated foreign digital piracy sites.
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Risk of Overblocking Legitimate Sites: Under Section 502A(f)(3), operators of other online locations that are accidentally blocked when a service provider implements an order must go through the legal process of moving to modify or rescind the order to restore access to their non-violating content.
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Administrative and Legal Burdens: Under Section 502A(c)(4) and Section 502A(b)(3), service providers and site operators face the burden of monitoring court actions and appearing in court within a strict 20-day window if they wish to contest a petition or inclusion in an order.
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+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+3
- 9/24/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Marsha BlackburnRepublican · Tennessee
Christopher CoonsDemocrat · Delaware
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California