Technology, Content Groups Seek Accord in Piracy Battle

MPAA Chairman Chris Dodd urged stakeholders to engage in a “sincere discussion about how best to protect the millions of American jobs affected by the theft of American intellectual property,” he said. “It is incumbent that they now sincerely work with all of us to achieve a meaningful solution to this critically important goal."

RIAA Chairman Cary Sherman said Friday that it “is a shame” that the Senate will not have a debate on PROTECT IP next week. “We have been told repeatedly that the tech community agrees that something needs to be done. We take them at their word, and continue to hope that we can sit down with responsible leaders from that community to devise a solution that will address counterfeiting and theft and, yes, bring the rule of law to the Internet.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce said it would continue to work with Congress to find the “right legislation” that would “effectively protect intellectual property while preserving a vibrant and innovative Internet,” said Chamber President David Hirschmann. “The right legislation is a win-win-win. Good for jobs, consumers, and the Internet. With 19 million jobs in the balance, we appreciate that Congress will continue to make the issue of foreign criminal websites a priority.”

"We welcome this debate,” said a joint statement from the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT). “We would hope a new tone can be set that does not pit the creativity and innovation of our directors, actors, performers, craftspeople, and technicians against those innovators in other industries.”

Members of the technology community said they were interested in working with the RIAA and MPAA to find the best solution. NetCoalition, a group representing Internet companies like Google, Yahoo and eBay in a statement from Executive Director Markham Erickson commended lawmakers for “recognizing the serious collateral damage this bill could inflict on the Internet. We remain committed to working with Congress to address the problem of piracy without compromising innovation and free expression.”

Facebook was “relieved that Congress has recognized the serious damage [PROTECT IP and SOPA] could cause to the Internet and are pleased that congressional leaders have decided not to move forward on these bills,” a spokesman said Friday. “We appreciate that lawmakers have listened to our community’s concerns, and we stand ready to work with them on solutions to piracy and copyright infringement that will not chill free expression or threaten the economic growth and innovation the Internet provides.

Wikimedia struck a more defiant tone: “This is another step towards the ultimate destruction of these two pieces of proposed legislation,” said Sue Gardner, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, the parent organization of Wikipedia. “But let’s be clear, these bills are not dead. They will return, and when they do, they must not harm the interests of the hundreds of millions of people who contribute to the free and open Internet.”

Other opposition groups took the opportunity to gloat. “We sent the MPAA back to the drawing board,” said Holmes Wilson, the cofounder of Fight for the Future, a major organizer for Wednesday’s Web blackouts. “Any law that lets the copyright lobby block our websites, censor our search results, or cut off our Paypal accounts -- without even going through a judge -- will be soundly defeated.” The group said more than 115,000 websites participated in the strike, and over 3 million emails were sent to lawmakers asking them to oppose the bills.

Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro in a statement issued Friday promoted the OPEN Act as a “smart and targeted solution” that allows “copyright and trademark owners to act quickly against the worst foreign offenders.” “Innovation must be America’s economic strategy,” he said. “It must not be blocked by one industry seeking to protect itself at the expense of another, especially when core American values are affected.”

The Web blackout was “a wake-up call for Congress to abandon business as usual,” said Harold Feld, legal director of Public Knowledge. Demand Progress Executive Director David Segal said “today Internet users around the world have reason to celebrate” but “mark my words -- this is just the beginning.” CDT President Leslie Harris said “it’s time for a hard reset on this issue.” TechAmerica acting President Dan Varroney said “the power of the tech voice has clearly been heard.”