SOPA is dead, and it’s probably not coming back. The MPAA now realizes that a bill like that just isn’t going to fly. They need to be sneakier and use methods that bypass public scrutiny – like TPP. That being said, SOPA is still on the minds of many people as one of the few things that has ever come close to destroying the Internet as we know it.
One figure who is still thinking about SOPA is Paul Brigner, former Chief Technology Officer for the MPAA. He was CTO for the group while SOPA was being debated and ultimately killed by the largest online protest movement in the history of mankind. During that time, he defended SOPA and said it was a good way to stop online piracy.
It seems that in the seven months since SOPA has been dead, Brigner has had a change of heart. He’s now working for the Internet Society, a group that was part of the protest movement against SOPA. Being with the group has apparently changed his mind on the matter. He even wrote a letter to the White House explaining why the Internet is so important:
We are also of the opinion that any enforcement attempts – at both national and international levels – should ensure and not jeopardize the stability, interoperability and efficiency of the Internet, its technologies and underlying platforms. The Internet – a network of networks – is based on an open and distributed architecture. This model should be preserved and should surpass any enforcement efforts.
It’s nice to see some more influential people coming out against SOPA and even changing their mind on the bill. He might be a little late to the party, but it’s appreciated nonetheless. It’s especially appreciated that the letter is also meant to help shape future IP enforcement policy. It seems that Washington is actually looking for input from those “nerds” that they neglected to even acknowledge when SOPA was first being debated.