GOP chairman expects President Obama to sign anti-online piracy bill

House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) said he expects President Barack Obama will sign the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a controversial measure to crackdown on online copyright infringement, if it clears Congress.

"I expect that the Administration will support the bill because it helps create jobs for American workers and makes it harder for online thieves to steal America’s products and profits,” said Chairman Smith, who sponsored the bill in the House. President Obama has not yet taken a position on the bill. An Administration spokeswoman said the President's chief adviser on intellectual property issues, Victoria Espinel, has discussed the legislation with tech companies, unions, copyright holders, consumer advocacy groups, progressive groups and Internet freedom advocates.