While thousands of tech vendors frantically demoed new gadgets and apps at the giant Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, a debate over the future of the Internet and how the government may regulate distribution of (often pirated) content was taking place down the hall….

…[Casey] Rae-Hunter opposed the notion that SOPA is good for content owners, particularly independent ones. “The trade organizations representing the content industry simply do not represent all creators,” he said. “Because of the open Internet, we are now seeing what a legitimate digital marketplace looks like and seeing increased consumer interest in legal, licensed services. It is that very ecosystem that could be threatened by legislation like SOPA.”