Commerce Secretary Gary Locke issued a blistering diatribe against music piracy Monday, declaring it "a growing threat" that "should be dealt with accordingly."

"This isn't just an issue of right and wrong," Locke said in a speech at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, one of the nation's musical focal points. "This is a fundamental issue of America's economic competitiveness."

Borrowing a page from the Hollywood and recording studios, Locke urged internet service providers and content owners "to work collaboratively to combat intellectual property infringement online."

"Especially to combat repeat infringement," he added.

Locke's statements came a week after Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, declared that copyright law "isn't working" because internet service providers are allowed to turn a blind eye to customers' unlawful activities with impunity. Hollywood and recording studios have been pushing for the removal of online pirates from the internet in what is largely known as "three strikes" or "graduated response" policy.

The Commerce Department, Locke said, is preparing to craft an "administration-wide policy on copyright protection and innovation."

"At the Commerce Department, we are trying to figure out how we shut out the pirates, while preserving the internet as an avenue for commerce for music and for other creative industries," Locke added.

He said the internet was a "double-edged sword" for the industry.

"On the one hand, online copyright infringement is a growing threat, with cyberlockers as well as peer-to-peer, file sharing, streaming and user generated content sites providing a constant challenge to the music industry," he said. "But the internet, if used correctly, can be a great growth engine."

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