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This letter was sent by OpenCongress user pavementends42 on November 02, 2011 in opposition to H.R.3261 Stop Online Piracy Act. Privacy setting: PUBLIC
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H.R.3261 Stop Online Piracy Act
I am writing as your constituent in the 3rd Congressional district of Maryland. I oppose H.R.3261 - Stop Online Piracy Act, and am tracking it using OpenCongress.org, the free public resource website for government transparency and accountability.

Current laws should be sufficient to protect 'intellectual' property moving forward. Do not allow yourselves to be pressured by greedy entertainment lobbies that want you to manipulate the changing market and mold it to suit how they want to operate, rather than operate how the demand and market are suggesting.

This is backwards economics (suiting the market to the companies that stand to benefit) and a dangerous precedent that gives DoJ a broad stroke power to force the blockage of sites based only on their discretion. The streaming content provisions, as they stand, could adversely effect most user-generated content, and could potentially cripple many popular online applications, causing loss of jobs, loss of viable ad space and over-burden current businesses with sorting and filtering through user-generated content.

Please, do your part to keep the internet free of DoJ intervention. Keep the internet free of such sweeping regulations that would fundamentally change the way we are allowed to use the internet! Thank you.

Sincerely,
Aaron Pratt
This letter was a reply from the office of Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin [D, MD] on November 02, 2011.
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This letter was a reply from the office of Rep. John P. Sarbanes [D, MD-3] on November 02, 2011.
Reply from Congressman John Sarbanes
Thank you for contacting my office. I look forward to responding
shortly.

In the meantime, please subscribe to my periodic newsletter, the
Sarbanes Standard at http://sarbanes.house.gov/subscribe.asp, so that I
am able to provide you with important updates about the Congress
throughout the year.

Sincerely,

John Sarbanes
This letter was a reply from the office of Rep. John P. Sarbanes [D, MD-3] on November 04, 2011.
Reply from Congressman John Sarbanes















November 4, 2011







Dear Mr. Pratt:



Thank you for contacting me regarding the prospective legislation to
curb online theft of intellectual property. I appreciate hearing from
you about this important issue.



Online commerce should not be a mechanism for abusive business
practices, violations of individual privacy rights or copyright
infringement. Intellectual property and privacy laws should apply to
all forms of commerce. I am privileged to serve on the House Committee
on Science and Technology, the committee with jurisdiction over
technology policy, and I will be certain to keep your views in mind
when the Committee or the full House of Representatives considers these
issues in the future.



Again, I appreciate hearing from you. Please do not
hesitate to contact me about other issues of concern to you in the
future.


Sincerely,

John Sarbanes

Member of Congress
This letter was a reply from the office of Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski [D, MD] on November 15, 2011.
Protect IP Act




Dear Mr. Pratt:



Thank you for writing to me about copyright law. It's good to hear from
you.



The PROTECT IP Act (S. 968) would give the Department of Justice (DoJ)
authority to identify and take legal action against websites that market
counterfeit or pirated goods.



I understand your concerns about this bill. Copyright laws are supposed
to protect the creative property of artists, and it is important that
these laws be followed. However, I agree that any efforts to strengthen
the protection of copyrighted materials must be well planned, avoid
unintended consequences, and must not stifle free speech or innovation.



S. 968 has been passed out of the Judiciary Committee and is awaiting
action by the full Senate. Knowing of your views is helpful to me, and
I will keep them in mind as Congress continues to debate this issue.



Thanks once again for writing. Please let me know if I can be of
assistance in the future.


Sincerely,
Barbara A. Mikulski
United States Senator


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