Nearly a Fifth of Lobbying Efforts Go Toward Senate’s SOPA
A report published today by Kotaku’s Stephen Totilo indicates the Entertainment Software Association, the trade association that represents Sega and more than 30 other video game companies in lobbying efforts, gave about $190,000 to third party lobbyists in an effort to mold the Protect IP Act.
PIPA is the US Senate legislation that, like the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House, has gained considerable attention and criticism in Internet circles. While the two bills have some differences, in both cases supporters claim the bill will curb online piracy, while critics believe basic independent security on the Internet will be compromised.
According to the report, the ESA paid $110,000 to the Smith-Free Group last Spring and Summer for, among other things, “discussions relating to online infringements of intellectual property” relating to the Protect IP Act as well as for lobbying for non PIPA/SOPA causes,” according to the article.
The ESA also paid $80,000 during the same period to the Franklin Square Group, another lobbyist group to promote, among other things, “the immigration of highly-skilled workers and for PIPA.”
That kind of money may not sound huge, but Totilo’s article does say the ESA typically spends about a million dollars annually for lobbying efforts, meaning about a fifth of their budget so far has been dedicated to influencing votes on PIPA.
If that doesn’t make you think, this might. While the Franklin Square Group generally accepts money from the tech industry, the Smith-Free Group has accepted lobby money from an array of sources, including big banks like Bank of America and HSBC, and oil interests like Anadarko Petroleum, according to OpenSecrets.org. In fact, Smith-Free accepted at least half a million dollars in money last year from the Sony Corporation, though for what reason is not clear. Most of that money came from the movie division, Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Related, a vote on SOPA in the US House will not happen until “consensus” among leaders is found. That’s according to political blog TheHill.com.
Loading ...
I will hate the lobbyist groups so much if this law will make the cut thanks to them.Even if the law doesn’t concern me since I’m European.
YESSS! Keep on smearing the lobbyists cause its those turds that are bought and paid for by the fools that want this bill LAW. This site I’m sure will become a premiere target for them if that bill does come to light. by the way…check this out http://youtu.be/1oOQOvHTDKk Remember the ones who took a few big wigs down last year! Look what they have to say.
Goddamnit, screw them, trying to ruin our freakin internet.
This congress sucks balls.
Hey there: SOPA has dead: US SOPA Bill Killed In Congress
The SOPA Anti-piracy bill has been scuttled, but the Senate’s PIPA bill sails on
On January 16, 2012 by Peter Judge 0
The controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has been effectively killed in the US Congress.
SOPA, which would have required Internet companies to censor Internet links to sites deemed to be breaking copyright, inspired massive protest, including criticism from President Obama. Today, Republican senators have decided to withdraw the bill.
All SOPA action to cease
The bill died, when Republican Representative Eric Cantor(R-VA) announced that he will stop all action on SOPA. As Cantor is the Majority Leader in the House, this means it is ended.
SOPA was criticised for likely dire consequences to the Internet’s structure, and for interfering with free speech. The bill wouild require internet companies to censor links to sites believed to be hosting copyright material, and cut such sites off from services such as PayPal.
Opposition to the bill came from the IT industry, even including games makers, as well as Microsoft and members of the anti-piracy Business Software Alliance. One company which supported SOPA, regristrar GoDaddy, faced a consumer boycott losing 72,000 domains
Activists are celebrating the death of SOPA online, but the US upper chamber, the Senate, is still working on a smilar bill called PIPA.
Meanwhile, some commentators believe that Cantor’s decision was not to do with criticism from the left, but from the right. Requiring Internet companies to censor the Internet, was seen by many Republicans, as an unwarranted power grab, and a step towards centralised government authority. Cantor had “promised early on to do his best to kill SOPA”, alleged one commenter on Slashdot.
@Oh: yes SOPA DIED, WHOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!! today is a great day, 2 hour school delay and no SOPA =D
Breathe a sigh of relief for now kids….let us regroup for the next round that those fools will spew and spear us with.
that’s $190 K that probably could’ve been used on something important
$190,000 is chicken feed compared to what I see some lobbyist groups pay to try to get a bill through or stop a bill from passing.