WSJ: WH Is “Seconding The Protest” Of “Wikipedia And Many Other Websites” Against SOPA, PIPA

WSJ: “The White House Is Seconding The Protest” Of The Internet Community Against SOPA And PIPA. In a January 18 editorial arguing in support of SOPA, The Wall Street Journal noted that the White House “is seconding the protest” of the Internet community but did not note any Republican or conservative opposition. From the editorial:

Wikipedia and many other websites are shutting down today to oppose a proposal in Congress on foreign Internet piracy, and the White House is seconding the protest.

[...]

[T]he White House let it be known over the weekend in a blog post -- how fitting -- that it won't support legislation that “reduces freedom of expression” or damages “the dynamic, innovative global Internet,” as if this describes the reality of Internet theft. President Obama has finally found a regulation he doesn't like, which must mean that the campaign contributions of Google and the Stanford alumni club are paying dividends. [The Wall Street Journal, 1/18/12]

But Many Congressional Republicans Also Oppose SOPA And PIPA ...

Politico: “Republican Sen. Scott Brown ... Announced On Twitter On Tuesday That He'd Vote Against ... [SOPA].” A January 17 Politico article reported:

Republican Sen. Scott Brown, locked in a re-election fight with Elizabeth Warren in Democratic-leaning Massachusetts, announced on Twitter on Tuesday that he'd vote against the Senate's PROTECT IP Act and the House's Stop Online Piracy Act. [Politico, 1/17/12]

The Guardian: Rep. Issa Is “A California Republican Who Has Campaigned Against” SOPA. A January 17 Guardian article reported:

The [Progressive Change Campaign Committee] meeting was also addressed by congressman Darrell Issa, a Californian Republican who has campaigned against Sopa. Issa and senator Ron Wyden are proposing a Sopa alternative called the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act, or the Open Act. “We expect to have more co-signers in the House than Sopa,” he said.

He said the level of protest was compelling evidence that congress needed to slow down before passing any legislation. Pipa is expected to receive a vote on January 24. [The Guardian, 1/17/12]

Ryan: “I Do Not Support H.R. 3261 [SOPA] In Its Current Form And Will Oppose The Legislation Should It Come Before The Full House.” In a January 9 press release, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) stated:

The internet is one of the most magnificent expressions of freedom and free enterprise in history. It should stay that way. While H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act, attempts to address a legitimate problem, I believe it creates the precedent and possibility for undue regulation, censorship and legal abuse. I do not support H.R. 3261 in its current form and will oppose the legislation should it come before the full House. [House.gov, 1/9/12]

Rubio: Congress Should “Listen” To Critics And “Avoid Rushing Through A Bill That Could Have Many Unintended Consequences.” A January 18 article in The Hill noted that Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), who had originally co-sponsored the Senate version of the bill, “dropped his support” for the Protect IP Act. From The Hill:

“Earlier this year, this bill passed the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously and without controversy,” Rubio wrote on his Facebook page. “Since then, we've heard 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. Congress should listen and avoid rushing through a bill that could have many unintended consequences.” [The Hill, 1/18/12]

DeMint: “I Oppose SOPA & PIPA.” The Hill article also noted:

Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), another popular Senate conservative, also announced his opposition to the bill on Wednesday.

“I support intellectual property rights, but I oppose SOPA & PIPA,” he wrote on Twitter. “They're misguided bills that will cause more harm than good.” [The Hill, 1/18/12]

Chaffetz: “At The Heart Of My Concern Is That There Are Some Deep-Seated Cybersecurity Concerns.” In December 16, 2011, House testimony, Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) noted:

At the heart of my concern is that there are some deep-seated cybersecurity concerns that have been expressed by a number of experts, people who are deeply involved in the technology and the development of the Internet. I would encourage members on both sides of the aisle to look strongly at this amendment and what we are encouraging here because there are concerns, particularly -- the Internet is such an amazing tool. It has done more things for our economy and for our ability to communicate globally. I am confident that every one of these members, as we talk to them, the last thing you want to do is create a hole or do some surgery to the Internet that would hamper our ability to maintain the cybersecurity pipes, if you will, that are in place.

Chaffetz went on to state: “I hope, Mr. Chairman, that at the very least we have deep concerns about what this will do to cybersecurity in general.” [Rep. Jason Chaffetz, House Testimony, 12/16/12, via ProPublica]

... As Well As Conservative Groups And Media Outlets

FreedomWorks: “SOPA And PIPA Would Destroy Internet Freedom.” In a January 13 post on its website, the conservative group FreedomWorks wrote:

Two pieces of dangerous legislation are currently being debated in Congress that could forever change the Internet: the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA). The proponents of these harmful bills claim that it is necessary to stop online piracy, the illegal sale and/or distribution of copyrighted and trademarked products on the Internet. Regardless of how well-intentioned the pieces of legislation may be or one's perspective on intellectual property laws, SOPA and the Protect IP Act would severely cripple free speech and stifle innovation online.

[...]

SOPA and PIPA would undermine the free flow of information on the Internet. This could be a dangerous slippery slope in which the federal government seeks more and more control over the Internet. The Egyptian and Chinese governments have actually shut down citizen access to the Internet over the past few years. Every authoritarian government ultimately desires to have complete control of information and communication technologies.

Twenty-seven Republican lawmakers who strongly opposed net neutrality are strangely cosponsors of SOPA in the House or PIPA in the Senate. Yet, the proposed online piracy laws are equally as bad or perhaps even worse than net neutrality. SOPA and PIPA would disrupt the growth of technology and infringe on free speech. Any individual interested in preserving the freedom of the Internet should not support either version of this dangerous bill. [FreedomWorks, 1/13/12]

Heritage Action for America: SOPA And PIPA “Includes A Host Of Unintended And Dangerous Consequences.” In a January 17 post, Heritage Action for America, a project of the conservative group The Heritage Foundation, made SOPA and PIPA “key vote[s],” writing:

Although no action is imminent, the Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R.3261), known as SOPA, and the Protect IP Act (S.968), known as PIPA, remain a priority for many in Congress. Both SOPA and PIPA purport to stop the theft of intellectual property from foreign-based websites. While well-intentioned, the manner in which these bills attempt to achieve those goals is unworkable and includes a host of unintended and dangerous consequences.

[...]

While the federal government does have a role in protecting intellectual property rights, it should do so in a way that does not weaken internet security, disrupt growth or restrict free speech rights. To date, SOPA and PIPA fail to meet that standard. [Heritage Action for America, 1/17/12, emphasis in original]

Hot Air: SOPA And PIPA Are “A Seriously Misguided Effort To Protect Intellectual Rights.” In a January 18 post on the conservative blog Hot Air, Ed Morrissey wrote:

Today, we interrupt this feature to remind people to call their elected officials in Congress to oppose the SOPA and PIPA bills. We aren't going to take the site dark today, as some of our on-line colleagues will as a reminder of the power that SOPA and PIPA would give the federal government to shut down websites with no due process. We think it's too important to keep exercising our freedom of speech, but still definitely salute those who are reminding us in their silence all to take action against a seriously misguided effort to protect intellectual rights -- a worthwhile goal, but not at the expense of putting government in the position of acting as a prior-restraint gatekeeper outside of the normal due process afforded by the courts. [Hot Air, 1/18/12]

RedState: “Stop Both Pieces Of Legislation Before It Is Too Late.” On January 18, Erick Erickson, founder of the conservative blog RedState, froze new content on his website in protest of SOPA and PIPA, writing:

Today many websites around the world are shutting down to protest the potential effects of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate companion, Protect IP.

At RedState, we are temporarily suspending publication of new content today to oppose SOPA and PROTECT IP.

Both pieces of legislation are overly broad and give too much power to the Attorney General to shut down websites that may be innocent of piracy, but are accused of being engaged in online piracy.

[...]

Stop both pieces of legislation before it is too late. [RedState, 1/18/12]

Internet And Technology Experts Also Oppose SOPA/PIPA

Eighty-Three “Prominent Internet Inventors And Engineers” Petitioned Congress To Oppose SOPA And PIPA. In an open letter to Congress, “a group of 83 prominent Internet inventors and engineers” opposed “the SOPA and PIPA Internet blacklist bills that are under consideration in the House and Senate respectively.” From the letter:

We, the undersigned, have played various parts in building a network called the Internet. We wrote and debugged the software; we defined the standards and protocols that talk over that network. Many of us invented parts of it. We're just a little proud of the social and economic benefits that our project, the Internet, has brought with it.

Last year, many of us wrote to you and your colleagues to warn about the proposed “COICA” copyright and censorship legislation. Today, we are writing again to reiterate our concerns about the SOPA and PIPA derivatives of last year's bill, that are under consideration in the House and Senate. In many respects, these proposals are worse than the one we were alarmed to read last year.

[...]

The US government has regularly claimed that it supports a free and open Internet, both domestically and abroad. We cannot have a free and open Internet unless its naming and routing systems sit above the political concerns and objectives of any one government or industry. To date, the leading role the US has played in this infrastructure has been fairly uncontroversial because America is seen as a trustworthy arbiter and a neutral bastion of free expression. If the US begins to use its central position in the network for censorship that advances its political and economic agenda, the consequences will be far-reaching and destructive.

Senators, Congressmen, we believe the Internet is too important and too valuable to be endangered in this way, and implore you to put these bills aside. [Open Letter to Congress, 12/15/11, via the Electronic Frontier Foundation]

Seventeen Founders And Co-Founders Of Major Websites “Urge[d] Congress To Think Hard Before Changing The Regulation That Underpins The Internet.” In another open letter to Congress, 17 founders and co-founders of websites and programs such as Mozilla, Twitter, Yahoo, YouTube, and Craigslist wrote an open letter to Congress opposing SOPA and PIPA From the letter:

We've all had the good fortune to found Internet companies and nonprofits in a regulatory climate that promotes entrepreneurship, innovation, the creation of content and free expression online.

However, we're worried that the PROTECT IP Act and the Stop Online Piracy Act -- which started out as well-meaning efforts to control piracy online -- will undermine that framework. [Open Letter to Congress, 12/14/11]

Google's Sergey Brin: “I Am Shocked That Our Lawmakers Would ... Put Us On A Par With The Most Oppressive Nations In The World.” According to a December 15, 2011, Washington Post article, Google co-founder Sergey Brin “liken[ed] the proposal to Internet censorship practices in China and Iran.” From The Washington Post:

“Imagine my astonishment when the newest threat to free speech has come from none other but the United States. Two bills currently making their way through congress -- SOPA and PIPA -- give the U.S. government and copyright holders extraordinary powers including the ability to hijack DNS and censor search results (and this is even without so much as a proper court trial),” Brin wrote. “While I support their goal of reducing copyright infringement (which I don't believe these acts would accomplish), I am shocked that our lawmakers would contemplate such measures that would put us on a par with the most oppressive nations in the world.” [The Washington Post, 12/15/11]

Google's Eric Schmidt: “The Solutions Are Draconian.” Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt also expressed opposition to the bill, calling it “draconian.” A November 15, 2011, Reuters article further quoted Schmidt as saying, “There's a bill that would require (Internet service providers) to remove URLs from the Web, which is also known as censorship last time I checked.” [Reuters, 11/15/11]

New York Tech Meetup Calls On Members To Protest Legislation. The New York Times' Bits blog reported on January 18:

On Wednesday, as several sites around the Web participated in virtual protests in opposition to the Congressional antipiracy bills, tech communities around the United States are taking their demonstrations offline and into the real world.

Beginning around 12:30 p.m. Eastern time, the New York Tech Meetup, an eight-year-old trade organization that has nearly 20,000 members, is calling for those who oppose the proposed bills to gather in Midtown Manhattan outside of the offices of Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand, who co-sponsored some of the proposed legislation.

As of Tuesday, more than 1,100 people had RSVP'd to the New York event, which is open and available to the public, said Jessica Lawrence, the managing director of the group. [The New York Times, 1/18/12]