WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Barack Obama has voice opposition to the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, better known as SOPA, that would give the government the power to shut down websites accused of violating copyright laws. Mr. Obama called the legislation "censorship" though he stopped short of saying he would veto it.

The Obama Administration has provided an article (http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/14/obama-administration-responds-we-people-petitions-sopa-and-online-piracy) authored by Victoria Espinel, Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator at Office of Management and Budget, Aneesh Chopra, U.S. Chief Technology Officer, and Howard Schmidt, Special Assistant to the President and Cybersecurity Coordinator for National Security Staff, which says what the President would support.

"While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet."

In the meantime, Texas Congressman Lamar Smith is being critized by the photographer DJ Schulte, who claims that the Congressman used a Creative Commons-licensed image on his website without giving Schulte proper recognition.

Schulte posted this on his Flickr:

“Unfortunately, our U.S. Congress is trying to take more control of the internet for large media corporations via the SOPA bill than actually protecting the rights of creatives and the work they produce. I have had images used improperly (stolen) by everyone from some guy in Pakistan to the Republican Women’s Club of Missouri to a Chinese firm selling my images in bulk so protection of rights is needed but the SOPA bill is not the answer. This bill is a control grab of the internet for the big entertainment corporations and will hurt an innovative and open internet where new ideas and art are shared and nurtured.”