Popular websites including Wikipedia, Craigslist and Google participated in the protest against the Protect-IP Act (PIPA) being considered by Congress. Criticized for giving the government an all-access pass to Internet sharing and control, it is one of the more controversial copyright legislation bills ever. Apparently Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who originally co-sponsored the act, noticed the waves of dismay on the net along with everyone else in need of a search engine. He announced on Wednesday (through his Facebook page, ironically enough) that he has officially withdrawn his support of the bill because of “legitimate concerns” and “many unintended consequences” it could have. At least three other legislators have publicly pulled their support as well.
Rubio also encouraged Senator Harry Reid to not rush the bill to the floor on January 24th—even amidst rumors that he received $3.5 million in campaign donations from organizations that support Protect IP: The “Stop Online Piracy Act” (SOPA), the House version of the bill. Organizations like the Motion Picture Association of America and the Recording Industry Association of America believe this bill will fight the rampant piracy, here and offshore, occurring on the Internet.
Can the government regulate intellectual property online without destroying the internet as we know it? Is there a better way to solve the issue of piracy and if so, should legislature be involved?
