Online piracy needs a better solution

[Commentary] The only thing worse than members of Congress deciding how to regulate the Internet would be passing the buck to the courts. That is precisely the problem with the Stop Online Privacy Act.

Some members of Congress barely know how to call up a browser on their laptops, much less what IP addresses are and how they work. Never mind. The entertainment industry needs a solution to the very real problem of online piracy, so, ready or not, the House Judiciary Committee will resume the debate early in the new year.

The tech industry has legitimate concerns about the legislation as proposed, but getting Congress to pay attention to the industry has been an uphill battle. The entertainment industry reportedly has given about $1.5 million in campaign funding -- four times as much as tech companies -- to members of the House Judiciary Committee. But some of the valley's biggest Internet companies, including Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter and eBay, are working with the Bay Area's congressional delegation to convince Congress that there are alternatives. Finally, they seem to be making progress. The Stop Online Privacy Act would give the Justice Department additional powers to go after websites that engage in pirated movies, designer ripoffs and counterfeit goods. Attorneys would be able to ask judges for authorization to force Internet companies to shut down offending websites. This could mean it would be up to judges throughout the country to decide what constitutes an inappropriate website. And companies surely would look for judges most likely to favor their cause.