“The criticism of this bill is completely hypothetical; none of it is based in reality," said Smith, R.-Texas, in a statement. "Not one of the critics was able to point to any language in the bill that would in any way harm the Internet. Their accusations are simply not supported by any facts."
Smith, who first introduced SOPA in October, doesn't have any empathy for anti-SOPA activity on Internet communities such as Reddit either.
When asked about those movements by
Smith outright dismissed people who worry about SOPA's consequences for the Internet.
"I think their fears are unfounded," he said.
Smith, chairman of the House Committee on the Judiciary, has previously argued that SOPA "stops foreign rogue websites from taking jobs and profits away from America’s innovators." That committee has twice held hearings on the bill, where committee members from both parties have expressed serious concern about the bill's consequences. The bill has been shelved until sometime after the House of Representatives returns from Winter Recess on Jan. 17.
SOPA is a red-hot issue with our readers. If passed, the bill would allow copyright owners and the U.S. Department of Justice to pursue a wide range of actions against web sites that host infringing content. Many Internet users and major tech companies, including Google, Wikipedia and Facebook, have argued that SOPA is too powerful and would severely disrupt the basic infrastructure of the Internet.
Smith has a history of trying to expand the government's ability to combat Internet piracy. In 2006, Smith backed a draft bill written by the George W. Bush administration that would have expanded the Digital Millenium Copyright Act's (DMCA) restrictions against software that overrides copyright protections.
Can you find language in SOPA's text that you think would spell disaster for the Internet? Show us in the comments below.