Why the U.S. Senate needs to oppose S.968, the Protect IP Act

This is my note to my representatives based on the Daily Kos Campaign.

Please oppose S.968, the Protect IP Act. This bill could destroy the Internet as we know it.

The U.S. State Department working with USAID
has provided over $5 million USD over 3 fiscal years in the form of grants for the Internet Freedom Initiative and reconfirmed the U.S. commitment to Global Internet freedom in an address at George Washington University in Washington, DC. In last year's speech, the Secretary identified the defense of a free, open, and interconnected Internet as a U.S. foreign policy priority. The State Department works to advance Internet freedom as an aspect of the universal rights of freedom of expression and the free flow of information.

If S.968 passes, then the government could order Internet providers to block the very sites funded by USAID and the U.S. State Dept. This legislaton would also impact well known sites like Red State, Daily Kos, YouTube or even Facebook if even one member of those communities posted material a copyright holder considered infringing.

Just as bad, all website owners would be forced to enact massive new private security measures, which means no one would bother creating new Internet companies anymore because of the cost and risk involved.

That's why tech giants like Facebook, Google, Twitter, eBay, Yahoo, AOL and Mozilla are opposed to this legislation, and why Microsoft has withdrawn its support and is now opposing the bills. It's why more than 100 of the nation's leading Intellectual Property law professors are opposed to the bill. It's why the Consumer Electronics Association, which comprises over 2,000 American technology companies is opposed to the legislation as currently written.

Protect IP, as currently written, is dangerous to the very actions we are taking to support our national security. Please oppose this legislation.