Stop Online Piracy Act: Broad bill needs scrutiny

[Commentary] The tech sector came out resoundingly this week against the Stop Online Piracy Act, a bipartisan bill that chips away at critical legal protections that foster online innovation and open communication. I point all this out because, if you were watching the House hearing on SOPA, you'd hardly guess there were so many concerned parties.

The Judiciary Committee set up a mockery of an open debate by stacking the witness deck. There are many worries about SOPA, including the implications for online security. But by far the biggest fear is that it would undermine the legal safe harbors of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. That law allows online sites to create open forums where users can upload videos, sell things, share opinions and more, free from the fear that a smattering of people posting infringing material will subject the site to enormous legal liabilities. It's arguably the foundation of the modern Web, central to the blooming of sites such as YouTube, Facebook and Craigslist. What we all need and deserve is an open and honest debate on any law that conceivably undercuts the critical communications platform of our age. At a minimum, that demands we acknowledge the true nature of the changes on the table - and that a representative group of affected parties is invited to it.