Even though the Protect IP Act appears to have gotten caught in a cul-de-sac in the Senate, the Stop Online Piracy Act is still very much alive in the Congress, which is slated to take up the legislation again in February. So it’s more important than ever for you to let lawmakers know you object to these heavy-handed, anti-consumer, anti-innovation bills.

Our pals at Consumers Union have dedicated a section of their HearUsNow.org site to giving concerned citizens an easy way to communicate with their legislators.

Explains CU about some of the concerns surrounding SOPA and PIPA:

While piracy is a problem, defining a “rogue” website becomes an even greater problem. Last summer, when an ad agency asked its entertainment industry clients to come up with a “rogue” site list, the companies included The Internet Archive, created as the universal “bank” for historical web content. And when MonsterCable came up with its list, it deemed Ebay and CraigsList to be “rogue.” These are the very types of websites consumers rely on to find information, and buy or sell products.

The bills put the burden on website owners to police user-contributed material and call for the unnecessary blocking of entire sites. They define the problem so broadly, and give big corporations so much power to shut down sites, that America’s favorite web services could be shut down or swept into an onslaught of pointless and expensive litigation. Congress can work to find better, more effective approaches to the problem of piracy. Don’t let Congress infringe our access to a robust and open internet!

So if you object to these pieces of legislation but haven’t taken the few seconds to let your Senators and Congresspersons know, here’s your chance.

Stop SOPA: Who decides that a website is “rogue”? [HearUsNow.org]

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.