The CEO of Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) has called for action to stop the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), in a desperate bid to "Save the Internet".
Gary Shapiro writes in a Forbes opinion column that he is seeing consensus amongst the more than 2,200 members of the trade organization in their opposition to SOPA, something of a rare event. CEA members include the major electronic manufacturers, like Panasonic, Samsung, and even Sony, who is also a member of the MPAA, one of the major backers of
Shapiro criticizes Congress for colluding with content creators and workign "behind closed doors" in creating the "sinister" SOPA.
"Under SOPA, a foreign or domestic Internet site that has broken no U.S. law can nevertheless have its economic lifeblood cut off upon a single notice from a copyright or trademark owner who alleges that a single page of the site "enables or facilitates" illegal activity by third parties," Shapiro warns, before adding that SOPA "allows movie studios, foreign luxury goods manufacturers, patent and copyright trolls, and any holder of any intellectual property right to target lawful U.S. websites and technology companies."
Shapiro concludes that if we don't act to stop SOPA, it could kill "innovation, wealth and jobs" created by the Internet revolution, and calls on citizens to contact their Members of Congress to stop SOPA if they "don’t want a bunch of Hollywood and music industry lobbyists destroying the Internet".
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