WE DID IT! WHITE HOUSE PROMISES SOPA VETO, HOUSE OF REPS SHELVES BILL INDEFINITELY

Before we get started, I want to once again state that MetalSucks’ opposition to SOPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act) should in no way be misconstrued to mean that we support piracy. We oppose SOPA because as written it would completely fail to stop piracy while trampling all over our first amendment rights and stifling innovation in the process.

Now that that’s out of the way: we did it! You did it, I did it, other people did it: together, we all got the message out that SOPA is a horrible idea and successfully got that message to our politicians, forcing them to take action. Either that, or the lobbyists that support the big Silicon Valley corporations got their way with Obama by threatening to withdraw support. But either way, SOPA is dead. Read all about the timeline of events leading to SOPA’s quick demise this past weekend at Washington Monthly. How come it didn’t work with NDAA? But I digress.

The first sign that SOPA was coming to an end came Friday, when the House of Representatives subcommittee researching the bill agreed to drop a very controversial provision that would’ve required Internet Service Providers to block U.S. access to international sites merely accused of piracy. Then on Saturday, the White House announced that it officially opposed SOPA and its Senate counterpart PIPA (Protect IP Act):

Let us be clear: online piracy is a real problem that harms the American economy, threatens jobs for significant numbers of middle class workers and hurts some of our nation’s most creative and innovative companies and entrepreneurs.

We will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.

The White House issued a formal veto threat, effectively ending SOPA and PIPA (at least in their current forms), but just hours later the House of Representatives officially shelved SOPA, putting it to a glorious end:

House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) said early Saturday morning that Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) promised him the House will not vote on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) unless there is consensus on the bill.

“While I remain concerned about Senate action on the Protect IP Act, I am confident that flawed legislation will not be taken up by this House,” Issa said in a statement. “Majority Leader Cantor has assured me that we will continue to work to address outstanding concerns and work to build consensus prior to any anti-piracy legislation coming before the House for a vote.

The Senate hasn’t taken any official action on PIPA yet, but a scheduled January 24th vote now seems moot with the veto promise in effect. These acts could certainly come down again in the future in different forms, but it doesn’t appear likely that’ll happen this year. So, for now, we celebrate.

-VN