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Comment by lincolnwebs | Hacker News Reader

Conspicuously absent: Berners-Lee and Bray.

Berners-Lee is British. He has been working with the British government on internet issues. I know this is crazy, but they actually listen to him.

And Bray is Canadian.

they actually listen to him

Unfortunately, not so. e.g. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internet/8030467/Inter...

The Digital Economy Act he is complaining about in that article - which, like SOPA, included provisions for national censorship in the name of copyright - passed by a large majority. Most MPs were not present for the debate, but simply voted according to their party line.

Most MPs were not present for the debate, but simply voted according to their party line.

That's the case in UK politics. The 'party whip' is used, and only in uncommon cases is a 'free vote' allowed.

I can't find much on Berners-Lee's stance on SOPA. Do you have any information as to why he wouldn't sign this letter?

EDIT: Just realized he is British (thanks to the other reply). Do you believe his silence (if any, again I can't find much on his stance) relates to his citizenship?

Yeah, he's against it. https://twitter.com/#!/timberners_lee/status/137195434794958... which has a broken link, should be https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/16/opinion/firewall-law-coul...

There's no citizenship requirement for petitioning Congress, the petition doesn't identify them as exclusively US citizens, this is an issue with international repercussions, and they're prominent figures that even the dolts in the House may have heard of. While nationality is likely the cause, they are no less conspicuously absent.

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