Updated: Anti-Piracy Bill Worries Tech Industry Leaders

Updated: 11 a.m. 1/16/2011

The oversight committee hearing scheduled for Wednesday by Members of Congress opposed to the Stop Online Piracy Act has been postponed after U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, the House Majority leader gave assurances that the bill would not move to the House floor this session until the major concerns of lawmakers were addressed.

U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, the House sponsor of the bill, said in a press release on Friday that he plans to remove controversial provisions in the bill that would require U.S. Internet service providers to block U.S. customers from accessing infringing website domains, which is also referred to as DNS blocking.

"Although SOPA, despite the removal of this provision, is still a fundamentally flawed bill, I have decided that postponing the scheduled hearing on DNS blocking with technical experts is the best course of action at this time," said U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa in a statement released Saturday.

Original Story:

A congressional committee will hear testimony Wednesday on a controversial bill aimed at stopping online piracy. As Andy Uhler of KUT News reports, some online-business leaders say the legislation, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, could cause economic damage.