While I believe that those who violate copyright laws should be held accountable for their actions, I am concerned that this legislation also violates the free speech and due process rights of content producers and Internet consumers. As it is currently written, SOPA enables law enforcement to target all sites that contain some infringing content (no matter how small), and those who “facilitate” infringing content. This is comparable to taking down all of Facebook because someone posts a copyright-protected video to his or her profile. Furthermore, a copyright holder could issue an order to have a website seized without seeking court approval. Until actions are taken by SOPA’s authors to ensure that this bill does not infringe upon basic civil liberties, I cannot support it.
Rep. Pete Stark in a Nov 17, 2011 letter to a constituent stating his opposition to SOPA.
