Why SOPA deserves a closer look

Seldom has a piece of proposed Internet legislation evoked as much as outcry and debate as the Stop Online Piracy Act. Over the last few weeks, hundreds of consumer and technology groups, industry associations, trade unions, free speech groups, security experts, academics and Web companies have ranged themselves on both sides of the debate.

The House Judiciary Committee today held an important hearing on the bill and even that is coming in for some scathing criticism with groups such as the Computer and Communications Industry Association calling the hearing heavily lopsided in favor of SOPA's supporters.

SOPA (H.R. 3261)  is sponsored by Lamar Smith (R-VA), John Conyers (D-MI), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Howard Berman (D-CA) and several co-sponsors. It would basically allow content and IP owners (read Hollywood and the RIAA) to obtain court orders requiring ISPs, search engine companies and others to use DNS blocking and filtering to block access to sites that are deemed as selling counterfet U.S goods and copyrighted content. Read more...