TORONTO – Some members of the U.S. Congress have pulled their names from anti-piracy legislation Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). This comes on the heels of popular websites Wikipedia, Craigslist and Reddit going dark in protest of the proposed bills.
The New York Times reported that Senator Marco Rubio, who co-sponsored PIPA, was first to announce he would withdraw his support for the act.
“I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs,” Rubio wrote in a Facebook post. “However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies.”
Rubio’s post went on to urge Nevada Senator Harry Reid to “abandon his plan to rush the bill to the floor” and instead take time to address concerns and create new legislation.
The Facebook comments in response to Rubio range from numerous “thank you” posts to harsh criticisms.
“You should have known this from the start if you actually read what you vote on,” writes Facebook user Jerry Mitchell. “Won’t be getting my vote next election.”
The Times added that Texas Senator John Cornyn followed Rubio’s lead just before 9:00 a.m. ET Wednesday with a similar Facebook post regarding SOPA.
“Stealing content is theft, plain and simple, but concerns about unintended damage to the internet and innovation in the tech sector require a more thoughtful balance, which will take more time,” reads Cornyn’s statement.
The Omaha World-Herald reports Nebraskan Republican Representative Lee Terry plans to officially remove his name from SOPA by end of day Wednesday.
Additional reports from Mashable.com say Arizona Representative and SOPA co-sponsor Ben Quayle pulled his name Tuesday.
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