Computer & Communication Industry Association
PublishedJuly 27, 2011

PROTECT IP Act Not "Noncontroversial"

CCIA is running a series of ads this week — including this full page ad that just happened to run in The Hill’s annual “beautiful people” edition today.
We also had this in Politico with info from the various letters to Congress from those opposing it.
The PROTECT IP Act (S. 968) endangers Internet security, sets dangerous legal precedents for censorship, and does little to stop online infringement. That’s why venture capitalists , law professors , and Internet engineers have all written Congress to say this bill would harm the Internet and innovation. PIPA would direct the DOJ to keep blacklists of domains suspected of infringement and then require ISPs and search engines to “disappear” those domains from the Internet. The bill’s private right of action will likely be used by rightsholders in ways that create significant burdens on legitimate online commerce services. PIPA will also undermine our intelligence efforts by driving Internet traffic outside the US, where we can’t reach it. This is a high price to pay for a measure that even supporters admit can be evaded.