Monday, December 19, 2011

Congressman David Price Responds To SOPA Legislation, BUT IGNORES The Worst Bank Foreclosure Fraud in US History

On Dec. 16, 2011, Congressman David Price of the 4th District of North Carolina responded by email to ONLY ONE of my TWO expressed concerns in my communication of Dec. 12, 2011.  While encouraged that he would oppose the SOPA legislation (that would effectively censor the internet) in its current form, he completely ignored my request for his involvement in resolving THE WORST BANK FORECLOSURE FRAUD IN US HISTORY.  

In the context of my conversation with one of his staff (Sean Maxwell), this is not only reckless and inexcusable, but his circumventing the issue altogether suggests cover-up via corrupt influence, and therefore necessitates aggressive follow-up -- click here to listen. (most especially beginning at the 2:50 mark).


-----Original Message-----
From: Congressman David Price <nc04ima@mail.house.gov>
To: spencercyoung <spencercyoung@aol.com>
Sent: Fri, Dec 16, 2011 12:56 pm
Subject: Reply from Congressman David Price


               
December 16, 2011

Mr. Spencer Young
134 Meadowmont Village Circle
Chapel Hill, NC 27517-7516

Dear Mr. Young:

Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).  I am glad to hear from you.

As you probably know, the Stop Online Piracy Act aims to expand the ability of federal law enforcement to curb the distribution of illegal online content and shut down Web sites and services that use counterfeited or pirated content created by U.S. firms. The bill also includes a provision that could hold third parties, such as payment-processing sites and Internet search engines, responsible for piracy and counterfeiting on other sites. 

SOPA builds on the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 (PRO-IP Act), which increased civil and criminal penalties for trademark, copyright and patent infringement.  Companion legislation currently under consideration in the Senate, the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 (PROTECT-IP Act, S. 968), has not yet been brought to the Senate floor for a vote.

Important concerns have been raised over the impact SOPA could have on technology firms, which, under the bill as currently written, could face lawsuits o r have their sites shut down by the government for unknowingly hosting copyrighted content. I recognize that online piracy and counterfeiting is a real problem that should be addressed. Our challenge as lawmakers is to balance our efforts to protect intellectual property with the need to safeguard the open and non-discriminatory experience of the Internet.  Since its inception, the Internet has allowed anyone with an Internet connection to access or provide information, goods, or services on a relatively equal footing.  This open design has been largely responsible for the revolutionary impact that the Internet has had on global commerce, innovation, information-sharing, and so many other aspects of our daily lives.

H.R. 3261 has been referred to the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet.  Should the bill come before the full House for a vote in its current form, I would expect to oppose it.

Again, thank you for contacting me. As Congress debates Internet and intellectual property legislation in the future, I hope you will continue to stay in touch regarding your perspective.


Sincerely,
DAVID PRICE
Member of Congress


PS: Please sign up for periodic updates on issues, events and town hall meetings at Price.House.gov. or follow me on Twitter at @RepDavidEPrice

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