Woodall: SOPA is the wrong approach

Law enforcement officers need “tools to protect American innovation and creativity from theft,” but the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) that drew online protests this week is not the right approach, a Georgia Congressman said Thursday.

“SOPA gives broad new authority to the Department of Justice to target rogue sites, but legitimate American sites would also be affected,” U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., said in a statement. “Subjecting these domestic job creators to unprecedented levels of new criminal liability will stifle innovation, create uncertainty in the technology industry, and stall our economic growth even further.

“I also believe it is a mistake to put Attorney General Eric Holder in charge of determining which websites are appropriate for American citizens and which are not, which is exactly what SOPA would do,” Woodall added. “The scope of this bill in its current form is overly broad and its consequences unclear.”