Coalition Emerges to Oppose Internet Censorship Bill

[EFerrari]

June 14, 2011

Coalition Emerges to Oppose Internet Censorship Bill
Dozens of Groups Share NY Times & LA Times Concerns with PIPA

WASHINGTON - June 14 - Reflecting the growing concern over Sen. Leahy's Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), dozens of organizations now oppose the legislation. This comes amid new criticism over PIPA's censorship provisions from the New York Times and Los Angeles Times editorial boards. Both publications questioned the overly broad scope of the bill in editorials last week.

PIPA would give the government the power to force Internet service providers, search engines, and other “information location tools” to block users’ access to sites that have been accused of copyright infringement — initiating a China-like censorship regime here in the United States.

More than 350,000 people have signed Demand Progress's petitions against PIPA and the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act -- an earlier version of the same bill. Over 50,000 members emailed their lawmakers last week to demand that they join Senator Wyden in opposing the bill. And more than 6,000 Demand Progress members have called their lawmakers to urge them to oppose PIPA.

Aaron Swartz, Demand Progress Executive Director stated: "Increasingly, ordinary Americans realize how vital a free-flowing Internet is for their daily interactions, free expression, and America's economic future. The business interests pushing Leahy's Internet censorship bill have gone too far and are now galvanizing the opposition to PIPA."

http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2011/06/14-2

[TheWraith]

1. Good. Leahy is just dead totally wrong on this, no room for doubt. nt

[truebrit71]

4. Agreed 100%

n/t

[The Northerner]

2. K&R nt

[Forkboy]

3. K&R

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. K&R

[EFerrari]

6. One more kick