Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), one of the leading opponents of the controversial “Stop Online Piracy Act,” being debated by lawmakers in Washington, admitted defeat early in a hearing on Friday.
“It’s become clear we’re going to lose and lose in the worst way possible,” Issa said. “We’re going to lose without deference to the facts.”
Issa admitted that the anti-SOPA lawmakers would keep up their quest to add amendments to make the bill more palatable, but said that in the end, the outcome would likely be passage, although it would take more time than the 14+ hours that the markup hearing has currently lasted.
Issa went on to submit a letter to the Congressional record from 83 computer engineers, “virtually everyone who helped create the Internet,” opposing the SOPA.
