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Gregory Kovacs, Mozilla CEO, on the SOPA bill and why Mozilla has chosen to black out its site in protest of the anti-piracy bill.
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-- -- Wikipedia and some other web sites going dark today to protest and antipiracy.
Legislation.
Now in congress supporters and the bills including Fox Business parent company News Corp.
Say that the legislation will help stop illegal downloading from the Internet is a -- And it's Firefox browser -- joining today's protests in the company CEO Gary Kovacs.
Is joining me now Gary great to have you on today where there's such a public protest against snow -- and this other legislation that's on the table.
Let me ask you how much of a black and white issue this is because on one hand we can see where you and companies like Google Wikipedia are coming from reducing privacy -- our freedom on the Internet we understand your stance -- -- on the flip side.
Companies like News Corp.
the music industry the movie industry.
-- piracy is costing them billions reducing productivity.
Costing jobs how can -- pick -- side the in this issue right now.
Well it's unfortunate that we're at the state which is were were being asked to choose a side.
To start with what we agree on we all agree the privacy and illegal downloads and outright theft.
Is bad it limits creativity does a lot of bad things in costs economically are quite -- That's not the issue the issue is the methods by which these bills suggest we deal with that -- that piracy.
And it's like asking your finishing carpenter to build you'll find cabinet using a -- it's just the wrong tool it's too blunt an instrument.
And we have to modify the bill to get to the end that we all agree with to be much more delicate and -- not limit innovation on the Internet.
So what is it -- you are advocating what is it you are willing to due to address the issue of piracy at and -- he's both sides of the -- Well what's important is the two sides have not actually sat down we have not said -- media and technology.
And actually had a discussion about how we both reach a common and that we agree on so step one is let's have that we have Mosul are happy to host everybody -- offices.
We think that would be a great way to facilitators were not motivated by any commercial entities we -- not for profit we represented users and our only interest.
Is the openness and innovation of the Internet that served -- -- so that's a step.
Beyond that we have to do was modify some provisions to enable the and without limiting some of the blunt instrument behaviors.
But we -- we -- being big parties big he goes to the table you locked in -- gridlock -- you may not get end up getting a solution.
Do you think a workable solution is possible and what sort of the timeline and who's going to be the leader here because it seems.
That nobody wants to take the lead of another side.
Well so absolutely solutions possible it will take time it's six months to year.
I'd love to say -- weeks or let's say it's months it's not these things take time it's a delicate set of issues.
And I think government has a role to play to broker the discussion between the two sides to bring us together to have a meaningful dialogue.
I also think there's a role for legislative process due process and so put all those three together and over the next six months to year and -- with solutions.
Do you think Gary -- every development -- do you think that there is a need for an -- -- police.
Well there is there any marketplace has rules and any marketplace requires rules.
Police some not so sure I think there -- managers jurisdictions of that that can police the Internet so by extension that's probably required.
But set -- rules that we all adhere to and are enforceable in a court of law.
I think are actually require -- -- Our -- go Gary what's at stake for you for your company for your employees is something like this boasts the room.
Well first of all about two we represent the user and we represented -- of the Internet and if we.
Regulate further or extend the hand of government deeper into the Internet we will create that outcome to a limit innovation we will stifle growth.
And that is against everything that we believe and is against the best interest of the user so we can't let that happen so through the regulations and a lack of due process here.
That is at stake and as Mazzola represented in the user.
We wanna make sure that innovation continues at the pace that it has been because it has served us all incredibly while.
-- don't want to stifle innovation -- certainly -- at the same time status quo is also not working certainly not working for.
A big media companies -- in the entertainment industry a lot of different parties at that Gary Kovacs with some real solution.
On what could happen around the piracy on the -- CEO Mozilla thanks for joining us.
Thank you.
Well that brings us or.
