Question of the Week: SOPA

These questions are culled from phone calls, letters, faxes and e-mails sent to Rep. Gallegly's Camarillo, Solvang, and Washington offices. Each week Rep. Gallegly adds another question and answer. Please add your comments.

January 20, 2012

Question: What are the next steps for H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act?

Answer: H.R. 3261 would permit the Attorney General to seek injunctions against foreign websites that sell counterfeit products. H.R. 3261 also would increase criminal penalties for anyone who traffics in fraudulent medicine and military goods.

The bill is currently pending in the House Judiciary Committee, of which I am a senior member. I have been discussing with Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith my concerns about SOPA and those that have been raised by many of my constituents. Chairman Smith announced today that further consideration of H.R. 3261 would be postponed to work on building consensus on how to reduce the theft of intellectual property.

I will continue to work to protect American jobs and consumers from counterfeit goods and encourage innovation through robust protection of intellectual property rights. At the same time, I will support efforts to address concerns that this legislation may hurt legitimate Internet businesses.

For more information on my positions on economic issues, please see my Key Issue: Economy page. For more information on my positions on Crime & Justice issues, please see my Key Issue: Crime & Justice page.

For previous Questions of the Week chronologically and by topic, please see my Questions of the Week page.