Following almost a day and a half of heated debate, the House Judiciary Committee adjourned its markup of the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA. Movement on the legislation will pick back up when the House reconvenes at the end of January 2012.
The following statement is attributed to Sherwin Siy, deputy legal director of Public Knowledge:
“Throughout the markup process, there has been clear disagreement and misunderstanding among members themselves about what is in the bill, to say nothing of what it actually does.
“SOPA, as written, would threaten the functioning, freedom, and economic potential of the internet. We hope the members of the House Judiciary Committee take this break as an opportunity to carefully examine the legitimate concerns raised by the tech industry, cybersecurity experts, public interest groups, and human-rights organizations.”