Obama joins the ranks of SOPA skeptics

White House just responded on the controversial Internet censorship bill SOPA and frankly, it doesn't look good for opponents.
The Administration calls on all sides to work together to pass sound legislation this year that provides prosecutors and rights holders new legal tools to combat online piracy originating beyond U.S. borders while staying true to the principles outlined above in this response.
Others are interpreting the White House blog post differently of course and let's hope they are right. In our experience, the minute this administration mentions keyword bi-partisan, we know we're about to be screwed frankly. Just look at the National Defense Authorization Act. That said, the fight against SOPA is heating up.
What is SOPA? It's a bill winding through Congress which is supposed to stop online piracy. The bill has broad powers through vague and ill-defined clauses for pretty much anyone to shut down any website by claiming they are hosting copyrighted material and such. Public Knowledge puts it more succinctly, This Bill Screws the Internet. The domain americancensorship.org has been at the forefront of fighting both SOPA and PIPA. The link above goes to their infographic and we reprint one slide with some of the more damning SOPA and PIPA consequences below.


White House's concerns with SOPA and PIPA did not end with the DNS provisions, however. "Any provision covering Internet intermediaries such as online advertising networks, payment processors, or search engines must be transparent," the statement says. The administration is also opposed to "overly broad private rights of action that could encourage unjustified litigation that could discourage startup businesses and innovative firms from growing."


The administration also wants legislation that is "narrowly targeted only at sites beyond the reach of current U.S. law, cover activity clearly prohibited under existing U.S. laws, and be effectively tailored, with strong due process and focused on criminal activity."


Combine all those concerns, and the statement is a fairly sweeping condemnation of SOPA and PIPA in their current form. Espinel and her colleagues appear to have left enough wiggle room in the statement to allow the president to sign a future version of the bill that addresses some, but not all, of the critics' concerns. But the bill's sponsors are now going to have to work hard to satisfy critics and build a consensus in favor of passage.


Meanwhile, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), a SOPA opponent, announced Saturday that he is postponing hearings on SOPA's DNS provisions that had been slated for Wednesday, January 18 before his House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.


"While I remain concerned about Senate action on the Protect IP Act, I am confident that flawed legislation will not be taken up by this House," Issa said. "Majority Leader Cantor has assured me that we will continue to work to address outstanding concerns and work to build consensus prior to any anti-piracy legislation coming before the House for a vote.