PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S12028-12029)
Congressional Research Service
Version 82 · Passed Senate without amendment · Dec 8, 2004
(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)
Anticounterfeiting Act of 2004 - Amends the Federal criminal code to prohibit trafficking in an "illicit authentication feature." Defines that term to mean an authentication feature that: (1) has been tampered with or altered without authorization so as to facilitate the reproduction or distribution of a phono-record, a copy of a computer program, motion picture or other audiovisual work, or documentation or packaging, in violation of the rights of the copyright owner; (2) is genuine, but has been distributed or is intended for distribution without authorization; or (3) appears to be genuine but is not.
Authorizes a copyright owner who is injured by a violation of this Act or is threatened with injury to bring a civil action in an appropriate U.S. district court. Allows the court to: (1) grant temporary or permanent injunctions to prevent or restrain violations; (2) order the impounding of an article in the custody or control of the alleged violator that the court has reasonable cause to believe was involved in a violation; and (3) award to the injured party reasonable attorney fees and costs, actual damages and any additional profits of the violator, or statutory damages. Authorizes: (1) the injured party to elect to recover, instead of actual damages and profits, an award of statutory damages of between $2,500 and $25,000 for each violation; and (2) the court to increase a damage award by three times the amount that would otherwise be awarded upon finding that a person has violated this Act within three years after a final judgment was entered for a previous violation. Sets a three-year statute of limitations from discovery of the violation.
People & committees
Sen. Biden, Joseph R., Jr. [D-DE] · D–DE
Legislative record
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Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (text: CR S12028-12029)
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(text: CR S12028-12029)
Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S12028-12029)
Senate Committee on the Judiciary discharged by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S12028-12029)
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S3002-3003)
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3001-3002)
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Aug 10, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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