Well now, I wrote some emails earlier in the month to my local politicos about SOPA/PIPA and here is what I got back. Yep, a form letter. But I wanted to note that this letter says something very interesting to me. It is telling me that government still feels that it can manage other peoples business. Which tells me that we are NOT out of the woods on this.
Dear Mr. N.:
Thank you for contacting me with your concerns regarding the pending Senate and House bills regarding the protection of intellectual property rights. I appreciate hearing from you.
The growth of the Internet and digital technologies pose new challenges to maintaining the balance between protecting intellectual property rights and the free flow of information. As you know, digital content can be easily duplicated and distributed. And counterfeit products, such as fake pharmaceuticals and brake pads, have threatened the health and safety of American consumers. I believe in protecting copyrighted and trademarked materials, protecting the health and safety of Americans, and compensating artists and innovators for their work, but I also understand the importance of maintaining an internet environment that promotes innovation and the need to protect consumer rights.
As you know, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 (PROTECT IP Act or S. 968). The PROTECT IP Act was unanimously reported out of the Senate Judiciary committee and was scheduled for a procedural vote to proceed to the legislation in the first week of the new session of Congress. On January 20th, I decided to postpone the vote, and encouraged Senator Leahy to continue engaging with all stakeholders to forge a balance between protecting Americans’ intellectual property rights and maintaining openness and innovation on the internet. Shortly after my decision, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) announced that he would postpone consideration of his Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA or H.R. 3261) until there is wider agreement on the legislation.
There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about S. 968 cannot be resolved. Counterfeiting and piracy cost the American economy billions of dollars and thousands of jobs each year, with the movie industry alone supporting over 2.2 million jobs. We must take action to stop these illegal practices. We live in a country where people rightfully expect to be fairly compensated for a day’s work, whether that person is a miner in the high desert of Nevada, an independent band in New York City, or a union worker on the back lots of a California movie studio.
Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with me. For more information about my work for Nevada, my role in the United States Senate Leadership, or to subscribe to regular e-mail updates on the issues that interest you, please visit my Web site athttp://reid.senate.gov. I look forward to hearing from you in the near future.
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