Why SOPA Defender Joins Internet Society as Regional Director

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Why SOPA Defender Joins Internet Society as Regional Director

By CircleID Reporter
April 17, 2012, 6:50 pm PDT Views: 12,455 Add Comment

Paul Brigner – Appointed Regional Bureau Director, North America at Internet SocietyInternet Society recently announced the appointment of former chief technology officer of Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The decision has raised concerns within the Internet community as Paul Brigner had campaigned for SOPA while at MPAA as well as being on record opposing net neutrality while being an official at Verizon.

Cory Doctorow of the Guardian who has been investigating the story says a good case has been made for him being the right man for the job. Doctorow writes:

“I asked Brigner whether his statements about DNS blocking and seizure and net neutrality had been sincere. ‘There are certainly a number of statements attributed to me that demonstrate my past thoughts on DNS and other issues,’ he answered. ‘I would not have stated them if I didn’t believe them. But the true nature of my work was focused on trying to build bridges with the technology community and the content community and find solutions to our common problems. As I became more ingrained in the debate, I became more educated on the realities of these issues, and the reality is that a mandated technical solution just isn’t a viable option for the future of the internet. When presented with the facts over time, it was clear I had to adjust my thinking.’”

By CircleID Reporter

CircleID’s internal staff reporting on news tips and developing stories. Do you have information the professional Internet community should be aware of? Contact us.

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