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Further Internet industry opposition to SOPA

December 22, 2011

By Colin Mann

Another US Internet industry grouping has declared its opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), currently stalled in ‘mark-up’ stage in the House. The Save Hosting Coalition, a consortium of businesses in the web hosting and Internet infrastructure industries, has delivered a letter from 300 leading industry executives expressing their opposition to the legislation. The Coalition delivered the letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith and House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers, Jr.

Christian Dawson, one of the founders of the Save Hosting Coalition and Chief Operating Officer of web hosting provider ServInt, said the overriding goal of the letter was to foster communication between the Internet infrastructure industry and legislators responsible for steering the bill through committee.

“As SOPA enters another day of Congressional mark-up, legislators need to understand that – no matter how badly flawed the bill is right now – there still is time to craft legislation that works,” Dawson said. “We strongly urge the Committee to engage with representatives from the Internet industry, so that together we can design a bill that protects intellectual property rights, while preserving America’s leadership position in the Internet economy. The industry is ready, willing and able to help. All Rep. Smith has to do is ask.”

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