Opponents of online piracy bill unswayed by changes

The manager's amendment offered by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has failed to stem criticism from the bill's most prominent opponents.

"The manager's amendment retains the fundamental flaws of its predecessor by blocking Americans' ability to access websites, imposing costly regulation on web companies and giving Attorney General Eric Holder's Department of Justice broad new powers to police the internet," said House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA).
Consumer Electronics Association President Gary Shapiro said the bill is still fundamentally flawed because it includes a private right of action and would criminalize linking to infringing sites. Shapiro reiterated his organization will not be supporting SOPA, and credited the grassroots campaign against the bill for turning the tide.