Chamber of Commerce Sends Internal Email Reassessing SOPA, Protect IP

WASHINGTON -- The top intellectual property lawyer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce appears to have sent out an email to underlings on Friday, notifying the world's most powerful corporate lobbyists that their organization is reassessing controversial anti-piracy legislation in the face of bipartisan congressional setbacks.

On Friday, both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) said they would suspend votes on the bills indefinitely. The Stop Online Piracy Act, and its counterpart in the Senate, the Protect IP Act, had longstanding support from Hollywood and other content industry stalwarts, which were seeking new tools to crack down on internet copyright violations. The bills were vehemently opposed by Internet experts, free speech advocates and tech companies like Google and Yahoo, who warned that the legislation threatened the functionality of the Internet and contained widespread First Amendment abuses.

The Chamber aggressively backed Hollywood and major record labels by lobbying hard on behalf of SOPA and Protect IP, alienating many of its members, which included top tech companies. Yahoo quit the Chamber outright over the lobbying group's position, refusing to take part in the organization any further, and Google was very close to leaving as well.

The Chamber did not respond to requests to comment on the email, which appears to have been sent by Chief Intellectual Property Counsel Steven Tepp. The email vows to press forward but fails to lay out any specific strategy for doing so.

The full text of the letter is below:

Folks,

As you may have heard, Senator Reid has postponed the vote on the PROTECT IP Act that had previously been scheduled for Tuesday. Similarly, Chairman Smith has postponed further consideration of the Stop Online Piracy Act.

Eighteen months ago, no one was talking about rogue sites. This past week, the whole country was talking about them. And while that discussion didn’t go the way we wanted, we should not overlook the fact that we have literally set the national agenda.

What’s more, even the most strident opponents of the legislation acknowledge the harm and evil of rogue sites and the need for Congress to act. That is the building block for us to continue to move forward and find an effective solution.

You know, as well as anyone, that every day the foreign criminals who operate rogue sites are stealing American jobs and harming consumers. The Members of Congress know it, too. It is clearly in our national interest to address this problem and we remain committed to working towards that goal and optimistic that we will reach it.

I personally want to thank all of you for your hard work and support over the past weeks and months. The breadth and depth of this coalition has been critical and will continue to be critical as we progress to the next phase of the campaign.

So, we will continue to be in touch with our thoughts on how to move forward together.

Thank you.

Best,
Steve

Comments

[surfinnonreality]

02:08 PM on 01/21/2012

MegaUpload was just shut down for piracy. The problem with the shut down is that people who were using it for storing business and personal files have lost access to those files with no recourse at the moment to get to them. When the government acts on against technology, the law of unintended consequences applies and innocent people get hurt. The answer is not PIPA or SOPA. There has to be a way to be more exact in the enfocement actions against piracy sites and individuals.

[relentless63]

10:52 AM on 01/21/2012

The greedy never give up, but I think they've met their match in the young geniuses who run the internet.

[whosallen]

10:36 AM on 01/21/2012

Chamber Of Commerce - Blah...blah...blah...blah.

[RRtreerat]

10:06 AM on 01/21/2012

Here's that bug-a-boo again about how a piece of paper,which is not alive and has no brain, has 'intellectual property rights'.

[Juan Carlos Mescalero]

09:52 AM on 01/21/2012

Chamber Of Commerce? Chamber of Money to right wing groups and shutting down small biz.

[tj3usa]

09:46 AM on 01/21/2012

SOPA PIPA will return under another name. A rose by another name would smell, I promise you.

The US Chamber would upset the balance of the Universe to get a nickel for some old DVD in the bargain bin at Walmart. They would want to arrest Jesus for the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, to protect the industry of seafood and bakeries.

I cannot say how misguided this all is, as it intends to wreck the principle miracle of the digital era. That is to do instant perfect copy and distribute things.What is the point otherwise?

They have not got a brain among the entire group. The have no concept how or why the Internet works. They just want their nickel for reruns of old movies and albums no one wants anymore.

The business model for entertainment has changed, like it or not. It changed just as oral storytelling fell prey to printing and books. No way to bring it back. Oral storytelling is now part of movies and radio not some guy making a living reciting Beowulf live in a tavern.

Chamber members should wake up and realize where we are in history. Copy protection is good. Going insane over copying is not good. There is a balance with things, an evolution.

[andyc1110]

09:35 AM on 01/21/2012

MOST people will pay full price for their media so long as the prices are fair. Those that won't will always find a way to get their media for free.

[MaineMike]

09:35 AM on 01/21/2012

They just shut down that megaupload site without this legislation. So why do we need it?

[democratsaint]

09:32 AM on 01/21/2012

Apple is an example of patents, they are suing everyone they can for patent infringement.because they have more money. they know a vast majority of it s lawsuits will get tossed.patents and all other protection serve 1 and only1 purpose, they grant a gvt enforced monopoly. they are anti innovation,they in fact stifle innovation.you can look at pc processors and see that,look at growth of speeds pre amd vs post amd.frankly i think they should be limited to 2 years,you have 2 years to rape the public.a second 2 years can be added,but anyone who make a product that is in the copyright pays you a royalty. that is it ,your protection is over,,go forth and compete or come up with a better idea.

[Ghostdog9579]

09:29 AM on 01/21/2012

It's for our own good though.

[sglahn817]

08:55 AM on 01/21/2012

"Underlings?" Why not just say "minions?"

[tj3usa]

09:31 AM on 01/21/2012

Hey how about stooges?

[rchwel]

10:40 AM on 01/21/2012

Both work for me ! Fanned and faved

[LouisvilleLiberal]

08:42 AM on 01/21/2012

Truth is, controlling Piracy on the Internet would be as effective as declaring war on drugs. There will always be a black market and our federal governement doesn't have the resources to police everyone, everywhere.

Media companies fear a future that allows users to actively seek out their entertainment and information online rather than passively zoning out in front of a tv or movie screen. They are going to have to concentrate on quality rather than quantity in order to continue to make the profits they are used to.

[njdem22]

08:26 AM on 01/21/2012

One of the things I hate about the US Chamber of Commerce is how they intentionally, I'm assuming, chose their name in order to sound like a government organization. So, when people see headlines in the newspaper or hear reporters on television they assume it is some branch of the government. They scan the newspaper and see "U.S. Chamber of Commerce backs SOPA" and some people will conclude SOPA must be good because the government's chamber of commerce approves of the bill.

[democratsaint]

09:22 AM on 01/21/2012

they are in fact just a union,which the right hates,oh wait they hate people making unions,these are corporations,wait corporations are people to ,so does the right hate the chamber and other trade groups or not?

[mrJJ]

08:12 AM on 01/21/2012

SOPA sponsor has another Internet bill that records you 24/7

http://www.slashgear.com/sopa-sponsor-has-another-internet-bill-that-records-you-247-20210264/

[pogo]

08:11 AM on 01/21/2012

"Stealing American jobs and harming consumers." Isn't that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's motto?

[democratsaint]

09:23 AM on 01/21/2012

i think they support sending jobs to china,more than creating jobs in the us.