HOT TOPICS
HOT TOPICS Conscience Provisions Simpson’s Statement on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) introduced H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), on October 26, 2011. Currently H.R. 3261 is under consideration by the House Committee on the Judiciary. SOPA is intended to combat foreign-based websites that sell pirated movies, music and consumer goods. Proponents claim this legislation prevents U.S. companies from providing funding or service to the foreign sites, and assigns the Justice Department new powers to prevent pirate sites from gaining U.S. visitors and funding. However, opponents of the legislation worry that the language in the current House bill is too broad and would allow content owners to target U.S. websites that aren’t knowingly hosting pirated content. While I remain committed to preventing the theft of intellectual property, it is essential that Congress addresses concerns with Internet functionality, cybersecurity and free speech when adopting an effective policy to combat online piracy. I have concerns about this legislation as currently drafted, particularly about whether it will effectively protect intellectual property and fight online piracy while protecting free and open access to the Internet. Because the committees with jurisdiction over this bill are currently working on changes to the legislation, I am carefully watching to see whether these changes address my concerns. |