Backers of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) were dealt a major blow when freshman Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released a statement withdrawing his support for Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), SOPA’s companion bill in the Senate. Rubio joined several prominent senators in coming out against PIPA after an estimated 7,000 websites blacked themselves out in protest over the proposed bill.
In a statement published on his Facebook page, Rubio stated that he has “legitimate concerns about the impact the bill could have on access to the Internet and about a potentially unreasonable expansion of the federal government’s power to impact the Internet.” He also urged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to “abandon his plan to rush the bill to the floor,” instead urging fellow senators to take more time to discuss alternatives or amendments that address concerns raised by supporters and detractors.
Both SOPA and PIPA would provide new powers to the US Department of Justice to prevent pirate sites from getting US visitors and funding, including permission to seek a court order requiring US internet providers to block access to these websites. Access could be blocked by requiring search engines to disable links to the sites, or making it impossible for users to type certain addresses into their browsers. The bills also permit content owners, such as entertainment studios and record labels, to take private legal action against websites allegedly containing pirated material. Supporters of PIPA argue that the bill would help stop international electronic piracy. The bill has been championed by power players in the entertainment industry, who claim that their companies lose dollars and jobs every year as the result of internet piracy. Opponents of the bill allege the bill is draconian, limiting free speech and exposing website administrators who are unknowingly hosting pirated material to liability.
Author(s): Brooke P. Dolara
