Nebraska GOP Representative Lee Terry runs, hides from Internet backlash against his SOPA bill

Lee Terry must have realized that raising an iron curtain around the Internet and continuing to be a D.C. whore for fatcat Hollywood interests could no longer fly under the radar of his constituents, after Google, Wikipedia, Wordpress, and other giant internet sites tagged him as cosponsor of the worst IP legislation in a decade. Today — through a spokesman, naturally — he finally gave up.

From the Lincoln Journal-Star:

In statements to the Journal Star, Reps. Jeff Fortenberry, Lee Terry and Sen. Mike Johanns said they won't support the bill...

     Terry, along with two other sponsors, announced Tuesday they will remove their names as sponsors of the legislation.

     Terry initially co-sponsored the bill because of the economic impact online piracy has on the economy, but pulled support after hearing lots of negative comments from multiple sources.

     He decided that SOPA, as drafted, isn't the solution, according to spokesman Charles Isom.

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AKSARBENT's pre-Christmas post on Terry's reckless SOPA escapade:

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Lee Terry legislation helps despots by banning US Navy's Internet censorship-busting technology

Lee Terry, Joseph Stalin

Tor, the censorship-busting technology developed by the US Navy and promoted by the State Department as part of the solution to allowing for free communications in repressive regimes, is likely illegal technology under the Stop Online Piracy Act. SOPA makes provision for punishing Americans who contribute expertise to projects that can be used to defeat its censorship regime, and Tor fits the bill.

Terry is a cosponsor of SOPA, called the worst piece of IP legislation in a decade. Because the draconian legislation is so poorly worded and has so many potentially unintended ramifications, virtually no one outside the entertainment industry supports it. Many, including Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, etc., are actively opposing it.

The Stop Online Piracy Act is so reckless that one can only conclude Rep. Terry is too lazy to have read the bill he cosponsored or isn't smart enough to understand what's in it.