Introduced by Representatives Lamar Smith of Texas and John Conyers of Michigan, The Stop Online Piracy Act H.R. 3261 known as S.O.P.A. became viral on the web as many internet companies and individuals feared the ramifications of this bill.
Contacting your local representative was called into action resulting in a delay on voting on this bill. United States Representative from Wyoming Cynthia Lummis responded to a phone call on the subject with a letter dated February 1, 2012, “I am also aware of concerns by internet users that enforcement actions based on intellectually property law will limit access to information and chill free expression.”
Online piracy will continue to be a discussion with possible legislation as Rep. Lummis continues “More needs to be done to fight online piracy and I am hopeful that Congress can eventually find some middle ground.”
A similar phone call was placed with United States Senator from Wyoming John Barrasso, M.D. and a letter dated January 19, 2012 was received in response. Senator Barrasso emphasized the bill S. 968 Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011.
In his letter, Sen. Barrasso states “I have serious reservations about supporting these bills in their current form.” He also adds a note of concern “We need to find effective ways to secure data and intellectual property rights while fully protecting constitutionally protected free speech.”
The vote may have been stopped for a short while but the discussion in Washington continues.
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