House Judiciary To Mark Up Online Piracy Bill By Year's End

House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) said that he is planning to mark up controversial legislation before the end of the year that would crack down on piracy and counterfeiting on foreign websites.

During a hearing on Smith's Stop Online Piracy Act, Chairman Smith and other supporters of the legislation urged opponents of the bill to offer up concrete changes in writing instead of offering vague criticisms. A Google official testifying on behalf of coalition of tech firms including Facebook, eBay and Yahoo, said the bill as drafted is too broad and could snarl legitimate websites and stifle innovation and free speech. Chairman Smith wasn't overly optimistic that the committee would be getting much concrete input on changes that would address opponents' concerns. "They have too much self-interest," he said.