Lawyers: Protect IP Act would align U.S. Internet policy with ‘repressive regimes’

By Stephen C. Webster
Tuesday, July 5th, 2011 -- 10:49 am

A group of Internet and intellectual property law professors have penned a letter to congressional lawmakers in opposition to the Protect IP Act, which would give the government sweeping new powers to take websites offline, censor search engines and sue Internet publishers accused of infringing activities.

In the letter, they warn that the act would "undermine" U.S. leadership on freedom of speech issues, cautioning that provisions within the legislation are more closely aligned with "repressive regimes" than the traditional American stance on Internet freedom.