MPAA's former tech policy chief turns SOPA foe

[tezza]

Hollywood's ex-chief technology policy officer has become the latest critic of controversial Web site blocking laws, arguing they're incompatible "with the health of the Internet."

A senior executive that Hollywood hired last year to be its chief technology policy officer has undergone a remarkable about-face: he now opposes the Stop Online Piracy Act.

Paul Brigner, who was until last month a senior vice president at the Motion Picture Association of America, has emerged as SOPA's latest critic. "I firmly believe that we should not be legislating technological mandates to protect copyright -- including SOPA and Protect IP," he says.

In a statement posted on CNET.com, Brigner says that his time at the MPAA -- which, more than any other advocacy group, was lobbying for SOPA and Protect IP -- led him to realize that new laws to block allegedly piratical Web sites simply won't work.

"Did my position on this issue evolve over the last 12 months? I am not ashamed to admit that it certainly did," Brigner writes. "The more I became educated on the realities of these issues, the more I came to the realization that a mandated technical solution just isn't mutually compatible with the health of the Internet." (See CNET's SOPA FAQ.)

A spokesman for the MPAA said his organization would not comment on Brigner's volte-face.

Hollywood, meanwhile, has hardly given up on SOPA. MPAA chief Christopher Dodd said recently that he was "confident" that President Obama was using his "good relationships in both communities" -- that is, Silicon Valley and Hollywood -- to advance the measure. And last week, the White House said that "we believe that new legislative and non-legislative tools are needed to address offshore infringement."

Some MPAA allies also remain optimistic. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, one of the more ardent defenders of the bill, said it "will continue to work with Congress." Cary Sherman, the head of the Recording Industry Association of America, wrote in a February 7 op-ed in The New York Times that his industry wants a "workable" legal framework -- after dubbing January's protests "misinformation," a "dirty trick," and "hyperbolic mistruths" that "amounted to an abuse of trust and a misuse of power."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57410674-281/mpaas-former-tech-policy-chief-turns-sopa-foe/?part=rss&subj=news&tag=title

[Sontiago]

I surely hope the media actually does some reporting about one of their staunch supporters jumping ship.. Of course they will not however........

[Ambrocious]

The tides of war are turning in favor of free humanity but this also means that the elite will be more desperate, and they will do more desperate measures to try and stop us from learning what we want to and seeing what we want to.

[visualbuffs]

SOPA was never too popular among the greater internet community. That much you could have been told by absolutely anyone, for the evidence was everywhere. A day without SOPA being mentioned on the Reddit front page never happened, and there was absolutely no love for it coming from anyone other than those backing it.

How many SOPA backers liked the controversial bill, though? The question has to be raised, since one of their main technology chiefs has turned against it. This time last month, Paul Brigner was a senior vice president at the oh-so-popular-MPAA was backing the Stop Online Piracy Act. He has now emerged as its latest critic, to the joy of absolutely everyone everywhere.

Brigner argues that the bill is not good for the internet in general, saying the following to CNET:

"I firmly believe that we should not be legislating technological mandates to protect copyright - including SOPA and Protect IP".

Brigner says his time with the MPAA helped him to realise the new laws to block websites will not be effective. He admits freely that his views evolved over the time spent observing the bill and its passage. As expected, an MPAA spokespuppet said the organization would not comment on the turn of face.

Hollywood still hasn't come to the same conclusion as Paul Brigner, believing that the measure would be advanced. Other allies of the MPAA and the SOPA bill are also remaining optimistic. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce have been able to say they will "continue to work with Congress".

Debate has been spurred on by Brigner's leaving the MPAA initially. Some people have suggested he might actually have walked out due to disagreeing with the bill. Others have said he became a turncoat due to the clear failing of the bill. Whatever his reasoning, having one of the people turn against SOPA is always encouraging, especially when they actually do feel the bill could be counterproductive.

Source