Sponsor Of Piracy Bill: Legit Companies ‘Have Nothing To Worry About’

The Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is pushing back against critics like Google and Facebook who say that impending piracy legislation is a draconian mistake.

In a statement, the chairman said that free speech concerns about the bill are “false and misleading” and that law-abiding websites have nothing to fear. The remarks come ahead of a hearing tomorrow that has suddenly grabbed the attention of both Washington and Silicon Valley. The fuss is about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a law that is nominally designed to help American companies shut down websites that sell counterfeit or pirated merchandise. Earlier versions of the legislation have attracted controversy for months but, in the last week, SOPA has suddenly become a national flash point with Hollywood and the Chamber of Commerce on one side and Silicon Valley on the other.

To quell the criticism, the House Judiciary Committee has released a “Facts & Myths” sheet while Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) released a statement that says only bad guys need to worry:
Claims that the Stop Online Piracy Act would limit lawful free speech on the Internet are false and misleading. This bill specifically targets websites that are dedicated to the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit material and products. It does not target the lawful activity of legitimate websites. Because this bill focuses on illegal activity, legitimate and lawful American businesses should have nothing to worry about.

Smith’s statement reiterates an often-repeated argument that the bill is just intended to close a loophole that prevents the government from shutting down foreign websites that facilitate criminal activity. This is unlikely to assuage critics, however.