Heavy backlash against GoDaddy due to SOPA support

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Internet

Action on the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has stalled for the year, but those opposed to it are gearing up to target those in support of the controversial legislation—particularly GoDaddy.

A Reddit user is calling on those with GoDaddy domains to move them elsewhere on Dec. 29; Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh has already pledged to make the move.

"We will move our 1,000 domains off @godaddy unless you drop support of SOPA. We love you guys, but #SOPA-is-cancer to the Free Web," Huh tweeted.

SOPA would expand the ability of the Justice Department to go after sites overseas that specialize in fake goods like counterfeit purses or prescription drugs. According to the bill's sponsor, Rep. Lamar Smith, the Justice Department would have to get a court order against an infringing site, and if granted, could request that the site be blocked. Search engines like Google would then have to remove links to those sites.

Critics, however, are concerned that the bill is too far-reaching and broad, and could potentially harm Web sites that don't actually contain infringing content or were acting in good faith.

In response to the backlash, GoDaddy today re-posted its SOPA statements from October and November, in which it called the bill "a welcome step in the right direction." Those opposed have a "myopic view" of SOPA, GoDaddy argued.

"The question should be how, not whether, we develop a notice and takedown regime in a responsible and responsive way. At GoDaddy, we are proud of our best practices and believe that they exemplify a model for the rest of the ecosystem," the company said.

The House Judiciary Committee is scheduled to take up SOPA when it reconvenes in 2012; a similar Senate bill, dubbed the PROTECT IP Act, will be considered in late January.

For more, Digital Trends has posted a list of companies that support SOPA.

This article, written by Chloe Albanesius, originally appeared on PCMag.com and is republished on Gear Live with the permission of Ziff Davis, Inc.