Sen. Wyden says he will block new version of COICA

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) is once again vowing to do everything in his power to block a controversial bill that would give the government more power to shut down websites that provide or link to counterfeit or pirated material.

In an interview with Ars Technica Wyden compared the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) to a "cluster bomb on the 'Net." The bill sailed through the Senate Judiciary Committee last year before Wyden helped prevent it from reaching the floor for a vote.

Judiciary chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), the bill's author, recently indicated he plans to reintroduce a version of COICA in the coming weeks. House Judiciary chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) is on board with the effort as is the White House, meaning some form of the bill is likely to become law.

But Wyden promised he would single-handedly oppose the law if necessary, arguing it gives the government too much authority to censor content on the Web.

"You get a lot of folks expressing increasing concern that, essentially, one part of the American economy, the content industry, is trying to use government as a club to beat up on one of the most promising parts but the economy of the future — the Internet," Wyden said.

"These major content lobbyists shouldn't be provided the authority to cluster bomb on the 'Net."

A range of content industry trade groups such as the Recording Industry Association of America, the Motion Picture Association of America and others have lined up behind the legislative effort. They argue online piracy steals revenue from American workers and costs millions of domestic jobs.

Wyden said he couldn't favor a bill that allows the government to seize domains without due process and prosecute sites just for linking to infringing content, arguing such a law would undermine the very structure of the Internet itself.

Wyden said his staff has been exploring alliances with conservatives and other libertarian-minded lawmakers who might be wary of increasing the government's ability to seize private property without due process.