WTAMU students have spoken out about the Congress’s proposition to fight Internet piracy.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) was proposed by U.S.  Representative Lamar S. Smith to enable the Justice Department to fight online piracy.  Although the bill was postponed indefinitely, if the bill was approved, websites like Flickr, Etsy and Vimeo, are likely to be shut down.

“The intent of SOPA is to enforce pirating and copyright laws,” History major Brooke Dossett, said.  “In retrospect, there is nothing wrong with that because it is illegal and the government does have the right to enforce those laws.”

Dossett said it is a bit hypocritical for the government to pass bills like such in a country that prides itself in freedom and access to information.“Overall, I think that the intent of these laws were good,” Dossett said.  “However, lawmakers have reached a route where it becomes a little un-American.”

Other students like Speech and Theater major Savanna Winn were afraid social media sites like Facebook will shut down.

“Facebook is not only just a way for friends, it’s a way to promote yourself,” Winn said. “If you use it for a wise reason, you can acquaint yourself with people in higher standings to move yourself in business.”

Psychology major Kara Lacy also disagrees with the bill.

“I don’t think they need this bill to shut down websites,” she said. “I mean they already shut down Megaupload so I don’t really think it’s a necessity.”

Lacy also feared for the gaming industry.

“I play Playstation 3 live,” Lacy said. “And if this bill were to pass, I’m more than sure they’re going to shut down online gaming.”

Editor’s Note: On Jan. 20, it was announced that SOPA and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) would be postponed as a result of widespread protests and Internet blackouts on sites such as Wikipedia, Google, and WordPress.