Should Congress Pass Anti-Online Piracy Legislation?
Two congressional bills, the House's Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Senate's Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (known as PROTECT IP), seek to address the problem of piracy and copyright infringement on the Internet. SOPA would allow copyright holders to take legal action against websites accused of enabling piracy. These actions range from forcing advertisers to withdraw their ads on an accused site to blocking the websites from Internet search engines. PROTECT IP proposes similar measures. While proponents assert such legislation will protect jobs, opponents assert that the bills condone censorship. Here is the Debate Club's take on whether Congress should pass anti-online piracy legislation.
The Arguments
No — SOPA and PROTECT IP do more harm than good
ANDREW MCDIARMID, Policy Analyst at the Center of Democracy and Technology Comment (2)
No — The proposed "anti-piracy" legislation is dangerous and unconstitutional
CORYNNE MCSHERRY, Intellectual Property Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation Comment
No — Congress doesn't have, and apparently doesn't want, dissenting information on Internet-piracy acts
DAVID SEGAL, Executive Director of Demand Progress Comment (1)
No — U.S.-based blocking of supposed "pirate" domains will be easily bypassed
JULIAN SANCHEZ, Research Fellow at Cato Institute Comment (1)
Yes — Online piracy threatens the safety and security of Americans while undermining the U.S. economy
STEPHEN COX, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus Comment (7)
Yes — The PROTECT IP and Stop Online Piracy acts provide a treatment for the online plague of piracy
STEVE TEPP, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel for the Global Intellectual Property Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Comment (6)
Yes — Congress must address copyright theft, which costs jobs and threatens creativity
SANDRA AISTARS, Executive Director of the Copyright Alliance Comment (5)
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