SOPA Co-Sponsor on Internet Piracy

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It's shaping up as one of the most contentious business -- free enterprise debates in some time.

Focus on how much protection to give intellectual property on the world wide web.

Some of the world's most popular web sites are on strike tonight they're protesting pending legislation in congress.

Intended to crack down on Internet piracy Wikipedia.

Among 101000 sites that are taking part is what's been called.

Internet blackout day.

Web companies arguing that the the legislation.

Known as stop online piracy -- and protect intellectual property act would stifle innovation censor free expression.

But media companies content providers say the legislation is absolutely essential to stop the illegal downloading.

Of copyrighted content in.

And it's unauthorized use joining me now -- cosponsor of the stop online -- the path.

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee congressman Lamar Smith.

Mr.

chairman good to have you with this first the -- -- -- gave the idea.

Protecting.

Intellectual property to some.

Is you know.

On the web just seems antithetical to the entire quote -- -- spirit of the web.

But to others.

It is if some money analysts erosion of their equity in in content and in their create their -- a -- material.

What -- where do we stand with a legislation.

Well -- first of all the problem Internet piracy.

You're legal.

Web sites abroad trying to steal our inventions in our products and our technology is a huge problem amounts to about.

100 billion dollars a year that they are stealing from our American invaders -- are American businesses and that's why we need to address that problem.

And when I talk about what the -- -- we already have laws that outlaw it you legal domestic web sites what we're doing is applying similar laws to -- web sites.

That engage in illegal activities we don't want to see our -- like Friday.

Still why is Wikipedia which is off off the web right now -- -- why are they so adamantly oppose then.

YA I is Google which is not blacked out but has a right as thick black banner on its banner if you will.

Why are they -- -- Well Wikipedia don't have anything to worry about their domestic web site I assume that they are not engaged primarily in illegal.

Activity and they are not a foreign website I same thing for Google Wikipedia.

And the irony there is that here's a website that says it wants to provide information and in this case is actually spreading this information.

About this bill if people look at the bill and by the way they can go to my website judiciary.

Dot house dot.

Get more the facts get the language of the bill they can make up their own mind that this bill does not in any -- target domestic web sites.

No matter what Wikipedia.

Says as Google doesn't -- -- -- don't exactly have clean hands they recently paid 500 million dollars to settle a criminal investigation against them.

Quarter specifically.

And intentionally directing.

American consumers to foreign illegal web sites -- -- the last -- to have any credibility.

To complain.

We're gonna be back with.

-- elements that issue in this discussion of intellectual property.

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SOPA Co-Sponsor on Internet Piracy

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