[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3754 Reported in House (RH)]






                                                 Union Calendar No. 310
108th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3754

                          [Report No. 108-536]

   To provide additional civil and criminal remedies for domain name 
                                 fraud.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 3, 2004

    Mr. Smith of Texas (for himself and Mr. Berman) introduced the 
  following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

                              June 9, 2004

                    Additional sponsor: Mr. Sessions

                              June 9, 2004

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]
    [For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on 
                           February 3, 2004]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To provide additional civil and criminal remedies for domain name 
                                 fraud.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Fraudulent Online Identity Sanctions 
Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT TO TRADEMARK ACT OF 1946.

    Section 35 of the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the 
registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce, to carry 
out the provisions of certain international conventions, and for other 
purposes'', approved July 5, 1946 (commonly referred to as the 
``Trademark Act of 1946''; 15 U.S.C. 1117), is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection:
    ``(e) In the case of a violation referred to in this section, it 
shall be a rebuttable presumption that the violation is willful for 
purposes of determining relief if the violator, or a person acting in 
concert with the violator, knowingly provided or knowingly caused to be 
provided materially false contact information to a domain name 
registrar, domain name registry, or other domain name registration 
authority in registering, maintaining, or renewing a domain name used 
in connection with the violation. Nothing in this subsection limits 
what may be considered a willful violation under this section.''.

SEC. 3. AMENDMENT TO TITLE 17, UNITED STATES CODE.

    Section 504(c) of title 17, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3)(A) In a case of infringement, it shall be a 
        rebuttable presumption that the infringement was committed 
        willfully for purposes of determining relief if the violator, 
        or a person acting in concert with the violator, knowingly 
        provided or knowingly caused to be provided materially false 
        contact information to a domain name registrar, domain name 
        registry, or other domain name registration authority in 
        registering, maintaining, or renewing a domain name used in 
        connection with the infringement.
            ``(B) Nothing in this paragraph limits what may be 
        considered willful infringement under this subsection.
            ``(C) For purposes of this paragraph, the term `domain 
        name' has the meaning given that term in section 45 of the Act 
        entitled `An Act to provide for the registration and protection 
        of trademarks used in commerce, to carry out the provisions of 
        certain international conventions, and for other purposes' 
        approved July 5, 1946 (commonly referred to as the `Trademark 
        Act of 1946'; 15 U.S.C. 1127).''.

SEC. 4. AMENDMENT TO TITLE 18, UNITED STATES CODE.

    (a) Sentencing Enhancement.--Section 3559 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f)(1) If a defendant being prosecuted for a felony offense 
(other than offense of which an element is the false registration of a 
domain name) knowingly falsely registers a domain name and knowingly 
uses that domain name in the course of that offense, the maximum 
imprisonment otherwise provided by law for that offense shall be 
doubled or increased by 7 years, whichever is less.
    ``(2) As used in this section--
            ``(A) the term `falsely registers' means registers in a 
        manner that prevents the effective identification of or contact 
        with the person who registers; and
            ``(B) the term `domain name' has the meaning given that 
        term is section 45 of the Act entitled `An Act to provide for 
        the registration and protection of trademarks used in commerce, 
        to carry out the provisions of certain international 
        conventions, and for other purposes' approved July 5, 1946 
        (commonly referred to as the `Trademark Act of 1946') (15 
        U.S.C. 1127).''.
    (b) United States Sentencing Commission.--
            (1) Directive.--Pursuant to its authority under section 
        994(p) of title 28, United States Code, and in accordance with 
        this section, the United States Sentencing Commission shall 
        review and amend the sentencing guidelines and policy 
        statements to ensure that the applicable guideline range for a 
        defendant convicted of any felony offense carried out online 
        that may be facilitated through the use of a domain name 
        registered with materially false contact information is 
        sufficiently stringent to deter commission of such acts.
            (2) Requirements.--In carrying out this subsection, the 
        Sentencing Commission shall provide sentencing enhancements for 
        anyone convicted of any felony offense furthered through 
        knowingly providing or knowingly causing to be provided 
        materially false contact information to a domain name 
        registrar, domain name registry, or other domain name 
        registration authority in registering, maintaining, or renewing 
        a domain name used in connection with the violation.
            (3) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the term 
        ``domain name'' has the meaning given that term in section 45 
        of the Act entitled ``An Act to provide for the registration 
        and protection of trademarks used in commerce, to carry out the 
        provisions of certain international conventions, and for other 
        purposes'', approved July 5, 1946 (commonly referred to as the 
        ``Trademark Act of 1946''; 15 U.S.C. 1127).




                                                 Union Calendar No. 310

108th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 3754

                          [Report No. 108-536]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

   To provide additional civil and criminal remedies for domain name 
                                 fraud.

_______________________________________________________________________

                              June 9, 2004

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed