CEA Calls Proposed Piracy Act A Failure

In a statement following today’s House Judiciary Committee's hearing on the Stop Online Piracy Act, CEA chief Gary Shapiro said the association supported taking strong measures against copyright infringement and foreign "rogue" websites, but "SOPA, as written, fails on both counts.”
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NetNewsCheck,

The Consumer Electronics Association called the Stop Online Piracy Act currently being considered by Congress a failure.

In a statement issued following today’s House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill, CEA CEO Gary Shapiro said the association “supports strong measures against foreign ‘rogue’ websites dedicated to infringement,” adding, “any legislative approach must target bad actors without ensnaring legitimate companies, and impose effective sanctions. SOPA, as written, fails on both counts.”

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Shapiro expressed concern for the future of the Internet if the bill were passed, saying “it would undo the legal safe harbors that have allowed a world-leading Internet industry to flourish over the last decade.

“It would expose legitimate American businesses and innovators to broad and open-ended liability. The result will be more lawsuits, decreased venture capital investment, and fewer new jobs,” he added.

Shapiro urged Congress to work with the technology industry on ways to address the foreign infringing websites.

SOPA — H.R. 3261 — introduced last month, is intended fight websites outside of the United States that facilitate copyright infringement and stiffen the penalties for intellectual property theft. SOPA has met opposition from the technology industry, as well as human rights organizations including Reporters Without Borders and the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

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