Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Arkansas Politics Griffin: Taking 'second look' at Internet legislation UPDATE
Posted by Max Brantley on Wed, Jan 18, 2012 at 2:15 PM
I'm not sure I can parse this statement from U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, so I pass it along verbatim:
Stopping theft of American intellectual property by foreign rogue web sites is critical to protect ideas and jobs. I welcome input on SOPA from all sides, and I share some concerns of constituents who have contacted me. I was hopeful we could revise SOPA to address concerns raised, and I remain hopeful. However, I am taking a second look at SOPA to see if that is possible. I will not support a bill unless my constituents are comfortable with it.
Griffin is a sponsor of the legislation. Some other rats have jumped from this leaky ship in recent days. He might be looking for a lifeboat. Even Dr. No Boozman has bailed out.
I've asked Griffin's office if it would help if I said I was uncomfortable with it. Or vice versa.
UPDATE: After a few more hours of second looking, Griffin's office issued a statement at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday that said he now opposed the legislation.
If you'd like to sign a petition opposing this Internet-destroying legislation, click here.
Speaking of U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, SOPA
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Comments (18)
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The unconvicted felon is awaiting word from his master - Rove.
Louie,
Just pour one of your beverages from the adult emporium over the top of you computer tower and that should pretty well destroy the internet as far as you are concerned.
Also be careful! You are pretty close to that Turk Power and any electric shock could really pack a wallop!
I just phoned Senator Pryor and registered my opposition to PIPA
So can you. Best 40 cents you can spend. (202) 224-2353 closes at 4 CST
I contacted his office about this a month ago. I received a letter back from Rep. Griffin stating that currently the internet is hurting corporations, and we need to change that with SOPA. He also said that granting the government the power to immediately block websites without due process will not be like living in China.
If we're unwilling to give up some of our liberties for the sake of Hollywood there may be no future Johnny Depps to come to aid of our future WM3s.
Them GOPers sure hate them Holywood liberals with all their left leaning propaganda and their gay agenda promoting.
But now they want to protect those same Holywood liberal/lefty/gayagenders.
Bedfellows, strange.
Herr Womack wants a compromise?
Congressman Steve Womack
I appreciate your comments about SOPA and PIPA. Online piracy of American intellectual property by foreign websites is a serious problem – a problem that needs addressing.
I share some of your concerns with this bill and am looking forward to working with my colleagues to craft a meaningful bill that protects American ingenuity without infringing upon the rights of American citizens.
https://www.facebook.com/RepSteveWomack
eL, I have read wildy different accounts of what piracy actually costs businesses. Cato Institute pegs it at less that a half a billion annually while certain industries claim up to 750 billion annually. I don't know how they would figure the numbers anyway. This all may be making mountains out of molehills. In that DemocracyNow segment I linked yesterday, they said the movie industry has had 5 years of record profits.
I didn't know our local blogger had his very own Institute! Go Cato!
Well, if we can throw US citizens in jail without trial, certainly corporations should also have that right since they are people too. :) (I signed the petition)
Outlier, I think the industry figures first guess at how many illegal copies they *think* are out there and then multiply them by retail pricing. Now, if all those copies even exist, it seems safe to say some of those people wouldn't have paid for them if they were only available at retail (which is why the stole them in the first place). So "lost profits" numbers are goofy.
Theo, a Taiwanese-American friend of my son's picked up some boot-leg movies when she was on a trip to mainland China a few years ago. My son said the quality was really crappy and not worth even the price she paid.
Why doesn't YouTube and Google just buy Hollywood so we won't need a Hollywood Patriot Act?
thearkansasproject.com has gone black too.
Looks like the big blackout is working, especially when the co-sponsors are bailing out. Behold the power of an effective, modern grassroots Internet-based campaign. Best of all, no one had to freeze their ass off in a plastic dome or march down empty streets dressed up like pirates to get it done.
Dear ironfortified,
Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition to S.968, the "Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property (PROTECT IP) Act." It is good to hear from you.
As you know, S.968 was introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) on May 12, 2011. This legislation seeks to change the way the Department of Justice handles perceived violations of intellectual property laws by foreign based websites dedicated to copyright infringement. Over the past few weeks, the concerns with the PROTECT IP Act in its current form have increased, and I certainly understand and share your concerns with the unintended consequences of this legislation. While the epidemic of online piracy needs to be addressed, I do not believe we should rush to pass this bill, rather we should be working to find another solution to this problem that ensures that innovation and free speech are protected. I have confidence that we can do this, but not with the PROTECT IP Act in its current form.
Please be assured that I have removed my name as a cosponsor of S.968 and should it be brought to the floor of the U.S. Senate for a vote in its current form, I will oppose it.
I appreciate your involvement in the legislative process and want to thank you for raising your concerns with this bill. As long as I am your U.S. Senator, I will continue to work to ensure that American jobs, ingenuity and ideas are protected.
Again, thank you for contacting me on this very important issue. Please be sure to visit our website at www.boozman.senate.gov. I look forward to your continued correspondence.
Sincerely,
John Boozman
U.S. Senator
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