Two Senators Change Tune On Online Piracy Legislation

As you may have noticed, the Internet isn’t happy with proposed anti-piracy legislation before Congress and the Senate that could have a huge impact on everything from e-commerce to your 13-year-old niece’s Glee fan blog. And as the voices continue to grow louder in opposition to the SOPA and PIPA bills, some law makers are already switching sides.

Earlier this morning, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, who was actually a co-sponsor of the PIPA legislation, pulled a complete 180 and came out against the bill. Likewise, Texas Senator John Cornyn has asked his fellow lawmakers to think a little longer about these particular proposals.

According to the NY Times, Sen. Cornyn posted on his Facebook page that it was “better to get this done right rather than fast and wrong. Stealing content is theft, plain and simple, but concerns about unintended damage to the Internet and innovation in the tech sector require a more thoughtful balance, which will take more time.”

Meanwhile, on Sen. Rubio’s Facebook page, he wrote, “As a senator from Florida, a state with a large presence of artists, creators and businesses connected to the creation of intellectual property, I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs. However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies…

“I encourage Senator Reid to abandon his plan to rush the bill to the floor… Instead, we should take more time to address the concerns raised by all sides, and come up with new legislation that addresses Internet piracy while protecting free and open access to the Internet.”

Web Protests Piracy Bills, and 2 Senators Change Course [NY Times]

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