(Image Source: Politico)

 

BY DANNY MATTESON

 

ANCHOR MEGAN MURPHY


You're watching multisource tech news analysis from Newsy.

 

Call them the Silicon Valley Superfriends. Google, Facebook and a host of other tech titans have banded together to take on proposed legislation aimed at Internet piracy. PC Magazine has more. 

 

“Google on Wednesday voiced its concern about a bill intended to crack down on pirated content online... The search giant was not alone, however; other major tech companies like Mozilla, Facebook, Twitter, and Yahoo, also took issue with the Stop Piracy Online Act.”

 

So what did this cadre of connected companies have to say about the proposed legislation? In a letter addressed to leaders of the Senate and House Judiciary Committees they argue that while they oppose online piracy this bill would...

 

Hurt innovation, job creation and cyber security -- and would be too big a burden on content owners and Internet companies.

 

And Mashable argues the bill-- nicknamed the E-Parasite Act-- has another problem -- the piracy punishments may not fit the crimes.

 

“...posting a video with any kind of copyrighted material could be considered a felony. This includes background music, film clips, clips from national broadcast sports games — even cover songs.”

 

So will the Internet industry’s powers combined be enough to halt the passage of the proposition? Politico says it’s possible -- but not without opening their pocket books.

 

“...the film, music and TV industries have spent more than $91 million on lobbying so far this year — an amount that puts them on pace to beat all of their previous spending records.”

 

Finally, Google, Facebook and friends aren’t the only ones hoping to kill the bill. As of Wednesday morning, 21,261 people had signed a petition in opposition of the bill on the White House’s “We the People” website.

 

Get more multisource video news analysis from Newsy.


Transcript by Newsy

Tech News: Stop Online Piracy Act

Facebook 'Friends' Google, Team Up Against Piracy Bill

November 16, 2011
(1:37)
Some of Silicon Valley’s biggest companies have come out against the Stop Piracy Online Act.
   
TRANSCRIPT

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