– Web hosting, infrastructure experts offer to help make legislation more effective –

McLean, Va., Dec 21, 2011 – The Save Hosting Coalition, a consortium of businesses in the web hosting and Internet infrastructure industries, today announced it has delivered a letter from 300 leading industry executives expressing their opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).  The Coalition delivered the letter to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-TX) and House Judiciary Committee ranking member John Conyers, Jr. (D-MI).

Christian Dawson, one of the founders of the Save Hosting Coalition and Chief Operating Officer of web hosting provider ServInt, said the overriding goal of the letter was to foster communication between the Internet infrastructure industry and legislators responsible for steering the bill through committee.

“PIPA could be brought to the Senate floor for a vote before the end of this month,” Dawson said. “Before any further movement, we need to make sure legislators hear loud and clear that the passage of this legislation would be bad for the American Internet economy, bad for intellectual-property protection, bad for jobs and bad for the country.”

“As SOPA enters another day of Congressional markup, legislators need to understand that – no matter how badly flawed the bill is right now – there still is time to craft legislation that works,” said Dawson.  “We strongly urge the Committee to engage with representatives from the Internet industry, so that together we can design a bill that protects intellectual property rights, while preserving America’s leadership position in the Internet economy.  The industry is ready, willing and able to help.  All Rep. Smith has to do is ask.”

Dawson said that although PIPA is of critical concern in the short term, the Internet infrastructure industry also is concerned about PIPA’s sister bill in the House of Representatives, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The Save Hosting Coalition believes that SOPA has many of the same flaws found in PIPA and it is gathering signatures on a letter opposing it as well.

Download a copy of the letter delivered to Congress opposing SOPA, complete with a list of signatories.

About the Save Hosting Coalition

The Save Hosting Coalition is a consortium of leading companies in the web hosting and Internet infrastructure industries that are working together to make their expertise more readily available to American policy makers. The Coalition’s goal is to help lawmakers produce legislation that protects the rights of intellectual-property holders while protecting America’s status as a leader in the global Internet economy. More information can be found at www.savehosting.org .

Christian Dawson, one of the founders of the Save Hosting Coalition and Chief Operating Officer of web hosting provider ServInt, said the timing of the letter was important.

“PIPA could be brought to the Senate floor for a vote before the end of this month,” Dawson said. “Before any further movement, we need to make sure legislators hear loud and clear that the passage of this legislation would be bad for the American Internet economy, bad for intellectual-property protection, bad for jobs and bad for the country.”

Dawson continued, “The Internet infrastructure industry is deeply committed to protecting the rights of intellectual-property holders. We have continued to offer to help craft legislation that achieves that goal. If Internet business professionals were engaged in the process and allowed to share their technical expertise, we could help create legislation that maintains America’s leadership in the global Internet economy while keeping copyright predators at bay. Unfortunately, the process thus far has kept technical experts out of the discussions. What we are left with in PIPA is a bill that is heavy handed, unfair, ineffective and fundamentally stupid.”

Dawson said that although PIPA is of critical concern in the short term, the Internet infrastructure industry also is concerned about PIPA’s sister bill in the House of Representatives, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The Save Hosting Coalition believes that SOPA has many of the same flaws found in PIPA and it is gathering signatures on a letter opposing it as well.

Download a copy of the letter delivered to Congress opposing PIPA, complete with a list of signatories.

About the Save Hosting Coalition

The Save Hosting Coalition is a consortium of leading companies in the web hosting and Internet infrastructure industries that are working together to make their expertise more readily available to American policy makers. The Coalition’s goal is to help lawmakers produce legislation that protects the rights of intellectual-property holders while protecting America’s status as a leader in the global Internet economy. More information can be found at www.savehosting.org .