The following statement was just released by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid:
“In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote on the PROTECT I.P. Act.
“There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved. Counterfeiting and piracy cost the American economy billions of dollars and thousands of jobs each year, with the movie industry alone supporting over 2.2 million jobs. We must take action to stop these illegal practices. We live in a country where people rightfully expect to be fairly compensated for a day’s work, whether that person is a miner in the high desert of Nevada, an independent band in New York City, or a union worker on the back lots of a California movie studio.
“I admire the work that Chairman Leahy has put into this bill. I encourage him to continue engaging with all stakeholders to forge a balance between protecting Americans’ intellectual property, and maintaining openness and innovation on the internet. We made good progress through the discussions we’ve held in recent days, and I am optimistic that we can reach a compromise in the coming weeks.”
This is a good start, but we still must work to make sure there are significant changes to both PIPA and SOPA. The problem with these bills is that they were written by the music/movie industry. I don’t have problems with interest groups suggesting what goes into bills, but for them to write them is a slap in the face to our democracy. Congress should act as a filter between what is right and what shreds the foundations of our democracy. In this case they failed.