MPAA CEO Chris Dodd Believes SOPA is Coming Back

Winning is luscious, especially defeating something as big as The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). But if you caught yourself taking a deep sigh of relief, and beginning to drink the sweet nectar of victory when the bill was tabled amid huge internet driven outcry, you may want to think again. SOPA may be coming back for round 2.

Talking Points Memo is reporting on an interview Chris Dodd, CEO of of the MPAA, did with The Hollywood Reporter. During the Q & A, Dodd was asked about SOPA and the possibility of its resurrection. Dodd, sounding confident, responded:

THR: What is the status of the Stop Online Piracy Act? Is the legislation dead, or will there be compromise between Hollywood and Silicon Valley?

Dodd: I regret that Steve Jobs isn't around today. At least he understood the connection between content and technology. The fellow who started eBay, Jeff Skoll, gets it [Skoll is founder and chairman of the film company Participant Media]. There are not a huge number of people who understand that content and technology absolutely need each other, so I'm counting on the fact that there are people like Jeff and others who are smart and highly respected in both communities. Between now and sometime next year [after the presidential election], the two industries need to come to an understanding.

THR: Are there conversations going on now?

Dodd: I'm confident that's the case, but I'm not going to go into more detail because obviously if I do, it becomes counterproductive.
Some of the biggest names in gaming and technology, both websites and individuals, banded together in January effectively killing the bill midst blackout protests and letter writing campaigns. If Chris Dodd and the MPAA get their way, we may have to band together again. It seems we won that battle, but are still fighting the war.

[Source: Talking Points Memo]