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ARTICLE · 15 NOVEMBER 2011

MAFIAA Fire Potentially Meets Its Match

Foley Hoag LLP
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Back in May, we wrote about MAFIAA Fire, a browser plug-in created by anonymous coders to counteract the government’s efforts to shut down copyright-infringing web sites by seizing the domain names.

United StatesIntellectual Property
Foley Hoag LLP
Foley Hoag LLP
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Back in May, we wrote about MAFIAA Fire, a browser plug-in created by anonymous coders to counteract the government's efforts to shut down copyright-infringing web sites by seizing the domain names.

As we mentioned at the time, the PROTECT IP Act currently pending in the Senate would give the government (and private parties, for that matter) enhanced tools to bring down foreign-hosted rogue sites.

Now the House has its own version of the legislation, dubbed the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and it has a provision that appears to be directed squarely at MAFIAA Fire. The bill would empower the Attorney General to seek an injunction against anyone who provides a service or product designed to circumvent the government's enforcement efforts, including domain name blocks. This, of course, is exactly what MAFIAA Fire does.

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