Leading Web Hosting Firm HostPulse.com Opposes SOPA

    SCHAUMBURG, IL, January 20, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- HostPulse (http://www.hostpulse.com/), a leading provider of unlimited web hosting, has announced its opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), a piece of proposed legislation currently under debate in the House of Representatives. If it passes, SOPA, meant to enforce copyrights and end content infringement on the Internet, would target websites hosting the unauthorized content.

"We feel SOPA will change the Internet in the worst possible way," said Terrence Howard, an entrepreneur who oversees the operation of HostPulse.com and the selection of its Top 25 Hosts. "This bill would counteract the freedom of speech and creative expression that has defined the Internet, end our ability to continue offering affordable web hosting services, and expose those of us providing unlimited web hosting to unnecessary oversight and costly legal battles. We also feel the bill, if passed, will make new start-ups more hesitant and inhibit innovation. New businesses should be encouraged more than ever in today's uncertain economy."

Many popular sites such as Wikipedia, YouTube, Twitter, Reddit, and others, which rely on user-generated content to spur traffic, would be at risk of direct litigation and immediate shutdown if users post any previously copyrighted material. No proof is required to be provided; a written accusation of violation constitutes reason enough to shut the offending site down. Cheap web hosting would no longer exist, as the overhead required by site owners to police such vast amounts of content or risk severe consequences would quickly outstrip most cheap web hosting providers' ability to remain financially viable.

Previous copyright infringement legislation, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), allowed providers of unlimited web hosting an out by granting them a reasonable timeframe in which to remove the protected content. SOPA would bypass that protective buffer, holding the hosting sites directly responsible and liable for that content and immediately restricting access to the site in question.

Supporters of SOPA argue that the DMCA offers no protection particularly when the hosting sites are based overseas, where cheap web hosting services have created a virtual breeding ground for illegal downloads of music, movies and other content. Supporters state the proposed legislation is geared toward shoring up a system that has become too broken to prevent illegal activities.

"SOPA supporters fail to grasp the true architecture of the Internet," adds Mr. Howard. "The bill, if it passes, will cripple the web beyond usability while fostering censorship."

HostPulse (http://www.hostpulse.com/) provides more than 3,000 hosting plans, ranging from cheap web hosting to unlimited web hosting, as well as review services, industry coverage, interactive online tools, and user reviews of web hosting companies.

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