Southampton - Congressman Tim Bishop issued the following statement:

"Piracy of goods and intellectual property hurts America's economy. Many solutions to this problem have been proposed in Congress, including the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) currently under consideration in the House Judiciary Committee.

However, SOPA's potential for unintended consequences, should it be enacted in its current form, are extremely concerning. I am primarily concerned about the bill's potential impact on consumers' ability to access an open and free Internet, including lawful domestic websites.

I oppose SOPA as it is currently drafted. However, I hope that as the legislative process continues, the important concerns of all parties can be addressed in a way that protects both property rights and the freedom of the Internet."