    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
    [December 9, 1999]
    [Page 2247]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 2247]]

    Statement on Signing the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages
    Improvement Act of 1999
    December 9, 1999

        Today I have signed into law H.R. 3456, the ``Digital Theft
    Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999.'' This
    legislation will increase for the first time since January 1988 the
    statutory damages that a copyright holder may recover for certain
    copyright infringements. This increase in penalties would be an
    effective deterrent to would-be pirates of copyrighted works. This Act
    also directs the United States Sentencing Commission to issue sentencing
    guidelines to ensure that sentences for criminal offenses against
    intellectual property are sufficiently severe to deter such offenses. I
    fully support efforts to make sentences in criminal cases involving
    intellectual property offenses true deterrents against the commission of
    those offenses and am pleased that H.R. 3456 will require the Sentencing
    Commission to address this matter on an expedited basis.

                                                          William J. Clinton

    The White House,

    December 9, 1999.

    Note: H.R. 3456, approved December 9, was assigned Public Law No. 106-
    160.