I to have sympathy for artists whose works are stolen. If I thought SOPA and Protect IP would help the artists, I would be for it.

Fines won’t go to the artists. Even in cases where the RIAA has won, the judgment money went to the RIAA, and not to the artists.

Frankly, “it’s for the artists” is the equivalent of “its for the kids.”

(1) The “nuclear” enforcement capabilities of SOPA should be restricted to works published within the last 14 years (the original copyright term, devised within the spirit of the Constitutional copyright clause). That is when most of the wealth for authors is generated.

(2) In return for SOPA, clarifications should be made on behalf of the creative commons, eg.
(a) Bona-fide search databases (eg. Google and various libraries) are not copyright infringements.
(b) Legal risk should be removed from republication of works with “orphaned copyright.” If a valid copyright-holder should later turn up, he would be paid on the principle of “quantum meruit” (a reasonable proportion of the profits from republication), rather than “punitive damages to deter infringement.”
(b) preserving documentary films that include small expired-licence excerpts shall not be punished as copyright infringement. (If a valid copyright claimant should turn up, he can be paid on a modest “quantum meruit” basis.)