Congress must keep the Internet OPEN

Finally, the OPEN Act doesn’t go after search engines like Google or user-generated sites like Facebook that link to or host infringing content. Rather, it seeks to combat online piracy by going after the source of the content, not the very sites that are driving Internet innovation. In nearly every case, the worst offenders are offshore sites whose sole purpose is selling stolen content.

It’s this last provision which does the most to protect the freedom and innovation of the Internet. Right now, current digital copyright law requires user-generated sites to monitor their content and take swift action should someone post infringing material. Rarely does this go beyond that step, but if it does, the copyright owner can file a cease-and-desist order, which will almost always lead to the offending content being removed. In other words, the regulation abides by the rule “Be more open, not closed.”

To be sure, Internet piracy is one of the most difficult problems facing Congress. But we should always be wary of attempts that assume the only solution is to stifle freedom. That’s never the answer, whether we’re talking about the Internet or in everyday life. The OPEN Act recognizes this, as should Congress.

Gary Shapiro is president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the U.S. trade association representing more than 2,000 consumer electronics companies, and author of the New York Times bestselling book “The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream.”