--- title: "MPAA Head Christopher Dodd: SOPA and PIPA “Not Coming Back”" id: "13670" type: "post" slug: "mpaa-head-christopher-dodd-sopa-and-pipa-not-coming-back" published_at: "2012-10-04T18:30:17+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-17T17:38:57+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/10/04/mpaa-head-christopher-dodd-sopa-and-pipa-not-coming-back/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2012/10/04/mpaa-head-christopher-dodd-sopa-and-pipa-not-coming-back.md" excerpt: "Former Sen. Christopher Dodd, speaking about two controversial copyright bills, says the association has moved in a different direction after a popular outcry." taxonomy_category: - "Advocacy" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "C-suite" - "Copyright" - "Legislation" - "Online Piracy" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Association CEO / Executive Director" - "C-Level" - "Executive Team" taxonomy_persona: - "Executive Leadership" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » MPAA Head Christopher Dodd: SOPA and PIPA “Not Coming Back” Earlier this year, when the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) became a major online point of contention, the chairman and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), Christopher Dodd, [was right in the middle (opens in a new tab)](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/sundance-2012-chris-dodd-mpaa-piracy-284190) . > People were dropping their names as cosponsors within minutes, not hours. Now, months after the bills disappeared amid [populist online revolt (opens in a new tab)](http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/18/sopa-internet-blackout/) , Dodd, a former Democratic senator, says we probably won’t see them resurface. “These bills are dead, they’re not coming back. And they shouldn’t,” he told reporters at San Francisco’s Commonwealth Club on Tuesday night, [according to Ars Technica (opens in a new tab)](http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2012/10/mpaa-chief-admits-sopa-and-pipa-are-dead-theyre-not-coming-back/) . The bills, designed to fight online trafficking of copyrighted material on foreign-owned sites, would have created provisions for the federal government to fight such theft, including cutting off advertising and payment methods for infringing sites. Opponents of the bills, especially in the tech industry, felt they would damage the safe-harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, potentially damaging their business models and leaving them open to litigation over their users’ actions. [The Internet Association was founded last month (opens in a new tab)](http://associationsnow.com/2012/09/internet-titans-form-new-association-to-combat-regulations/) largely as a reaction to the bills. Dodd, who spoke to reporters on the topic only after the event intended to highlight Hollywood’s relationship with Silicon Valley, noted the mass exodus from the bill. “When SOPA-PIPA blew up, it was a transformative event,” said Dodd, who called some of the reaction “over the top.” “There were 8 million emails [to elected representatives] in two days … People were dropping their names as cosponsors within minutes, not hours.” The MPAA head says the group plans to work more collaboratively with members of the technology community to ensure that everyone’s needs are met. “I think we’re better served by sitting down [with the tech sector and SOPA opponents] and seeing what we agree on,” he said. (U.S. government photo) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#C-suite](https://associationsnow.com/tag/c-suite/) [#Copyright](https://associationsnow.com/tag/copyright/) [#Legislation](https://associationsnow.com/tag/legislation/) [#Online Piracy](https://associationsnow.com/tag/online-piracy/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [PodcastAssociations NOW Presents: Powering Advocacy-Why PACs Matter for AssociationsNovember 20, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/11/20/associations-now-presents-powering-advocacy-why-pacs-matter-for-associations/) - [VideoSmarter Board Management for Associations: An OnBoard ShowcaseJuly 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/07/24/smarter-board-management-for-associations-an-onboard-showcase/) - [VideoThe Career Moves Every Association Leader Needs Right NowSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/the-career-moves-every-association-leader-needs-right-now/) - [VideoUrban Land Institute- Project Recovery: Rebuilding Los Angeles After the January 2025 WildfiresSeptember 24, 2026](https://associationsnow.com/2026/09/24/urban-land-institute-project-recovery-rebuilding-los-angeles-after-the-january-2025-wildfires/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2012%2F10%2F04%2Fmpaa-head-christopher-dodd-sopa-and-pipa-not-coming-back%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !