WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) today announced that he would oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Congressman Altmire made the announcement at the Fountainhead Café in Monaca, Pennsylvania after meeting with developers, programmers, and computer engineers to discuss the legislation. This week, Congressman Altmire spoke with industry experts on both sides of the debate and accepted the invitation to discuss the issue from the café's owner on Twitter.
"I have spent the last week talking with industry experts on the impacts this legislation will have on the Internet," Congressman Altmire said. "After hearing the concerns, and after tonight's discussion, I am convinced that we need to find a more balanced way to protect intellectual property and combat online piracy and copyright infringement. The current bill has the ability to stifle innovation and shut off access to legitimate, popular websites. I am open to working with industry experts on both sides of the issue to craft language that serves the dual purpose of preserving access to the Internet while preventing illegal piracy of copyrighted content."
