Changes

'''Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)''' or '''H.R. 3261''' is a bipartisan bill introduced at the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee by Congressman '''[[Lamar Smith]]''' (R-Texas) and co-sponsored by 31 other Representatives including '''John Conyers''' (D-Mich.), '''Bob Goodlatte''' (R-Va.) and '''Howard Berman''' (D-Calif.) on June 26, 2011.The bill aims to protect the intellectual property rights of U.S. businesses particularly in the film, music and software industry against online piracy and counterfeiting.<ref>

'''Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)''' or '''H.R. 3261''' is a bipartisan bill introduced at the United States House of Representatives Judiciary Committee by Congressman '''[[Lamar Smith]]''' (R-Texas) and co-sponsored by 31 other Representatives including '''John Conyers''' (D-Mich.), '''Bob Goodlatte''' (R-Va.) and '''Howard Berman''' (D-Calif.) on June 26, 2011.<ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/house-introduces-internet-piracy-bill/2011/10/26/gIQA0f5xJM_blog.html House introduces Internet piracy bill]</ref> The bill aims to promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. property, and for other purposes such as intellectual property rights protection of U.S. businesses particularly in the film, music and software industry against online piracy and counterfeiting.<ref>[http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/112%20HR%203261.pdf The Bill-H.R. 3261]</ref>  

[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/Dd112:23:./temp/~bdOZ3u::|/home/LegislativeData.php?n=BSS;c=112| Bill Summary & Status 112th Congress H.R.3261]</ref> <ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/house-introduces-internet-piracy-bill/2011/10/26/gIQA0f5xJM_blog.html House introduces Internet piracy bill]</ref>

 

Under the proposed bill, the Department of Justice through the Attorney General is authorized to ask for a court order against the owners, operators, domain name registrants of foreign websites to stop their operations if found conducting or facilitating online piracy including copyright infringement, unauthorized fixation and trafficking of sound recordings or videos of live musical performances, the recording of exhibited motion pictures, or trafficking in counterfeit labels, goods, or services. <ref>[http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/112%20HR%203261.pdf The Bill-H.R. 3261]</ref>

Under the proposed bill, the Department of Justice through the Attorney General is authorized to ask for a court order against the owners, operators, domain name registrants of foreign websites to stop their operations if found conducting or facilitating online piracy including copyright infringement, unauthorized fixation and trafficking of sound recordings or videos of live musical performances, the recording of exhibited motion pictures, or trafficking in counterfeit labels, goods, or services.  

 

Section 102 of the bill stipulated that search engines, [[ISP]], and other services ordered to stop doing business with suspected violators of online piracy and counterfeiting cannot be sued in court while Section 103 of the bill gives copy right holders the right to ask an injunction for third parties such as payment processors and advertisers to stop doing business with suspected websites selling pirated products. Under Section 104 service providers ( domain name registrar, registry, ISPs, search engines, internet advertisers, etc) that voluntarily take action and stop doing business with infringing websites are given legal immunity. In addition, any copyright holder misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement or a if a respondent to an infringement claim knowingly misrepresents that a site is not dedicated to infringement will be liable for damages including attorneys fees and court costs.<ref>

Section 102 of the bill stipulated that search engines, [[ISP]], and other services ordered to stop doing business with suspected violators of online piracy and counterfeiting cannot be sued in court while Section 103 of the bill gives copy right holders the right to ask an injunction for third parties such as payment processors and advertisers to stop doing business with suspected websites selling pirated products. Under Section 104 service providers ( domain name registrar, registry, ISPs, search engines, internet advertisers, etc) that voluntarily take action and stop doing business with infringing websites are given legal immunity. In addition, any copyright holder misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement or a if a respondent to an infringement claim knowingly misrepresents that a site is not dedicated to infringement will be liable for damages including attorneys fees and court costs.<ref>[http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/244011/the_us_stop_online_piracy_act_a_primer.html The US Stop Online Piracy Act: A Primer]</ref>

[http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/Dd112:23:./temp/~bdOZ3u::|/home/LegislativeData.php?n=BSS;c=112| Bill Summary & Status 112th Congress H.R.3261]</ref> <ref>[http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/244011/the_us_stop_online_piracy_act_a_primer.html The US Stop Online Piracy Act: A Primer]</ref>

==Supporters==

==Supporters==