National Governors Association calls for piracy legislation

The National Governors Association urged lawmakers to pass legislation to combat online copyright infringement.

"Criminals have turned to the Internet, abusing its virtually unlimited distribution opportunities to expand their illicit activities and profits," Govs. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Jay Nixon (D-MO) wrote in a letter to top lawmakers in the House and Senate. "Some rogue sites dupe Internet users into thinking they are legitimate, accepting major credit cards as forms of payment and featuring advertising from blue chip U.S. companies." The House's Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Senate's Protect IP Act would allow the government and copyright holders to demand that Internet providers, search engines, credit card companies and ad networks cut ties to websites "dedicated" to copyright infringement.