has any one been keeping up with the SOPA bill that some politicians want to pass?

[gangstadawg]

sopa means Stop Online Piracy Act.

anyways before anyone blindly think this is a good bill. might wanna read up on it because ALOT of people in the IT industry have called it basically the end of the internet due to how its worded.

some links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57...ffect-you-faq/

[Deven]

I have, and if passed, it will be the end of the internet. The bill is so broad that it leaves legitimate businesses exposed and vulnerable to attack.

It'd essentially give the US Government the same license that China has over it's citizens internet use. As people scramble to defend this bill, one even comparing copyright infringement to child porn. I can understand that both are illegal, but there are levels of severity, honestly. This witch hunt to stop piracy is getting ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Lamar Smith

The Stop Online Piracy Act is a constitutional bill that protects free speech and America’s intellectual property. The First Amendment is not an excuse for illegal activity. Simply because the illegal activity occurs online does not mean that it is protected speech. Like online piracy, child pornography is a billion-dollar business operated online. It is also illegal. That’s why law enforcement officials are authorized to block access to child-porn sites.

Article Here

A First Amendment expert has already said that this would disrupt protected speech. In my opinion, that would basically be the beginning of the end of the first amendment.

Originally Posted by Floyd Abrams

Regardless of the particular standard or definition of foreign infringing sites, court-approved remedies under the Stop Online Piracy Act may result in the blockage or disruption of some protected speech. As discussed above, the bill provides a range of injunctive relief is available, with a court making the final determination as to whether and how to craft relief against a website operator or owner or third party intermediaries. When injunctive relief includes blocking domain names, the blockage of non-infringing or protected content may result.

Article on SOPA disrupting Free Speech

[bigmac]

This is a great example of legislation propounded by legislators who are no more than corporate lap dogs. We've suffered under such legislation for decades. This type of legislation is written by corporate attorneys and lobbyists -- and then advanced by bought and paid for politicians. This is exactly the type of bad government OWS supporters are targeting.

This legislation needs to be defeated. Our politicians need to learn and learn quick that laws that put corporate interests ahead of basic rights (i.e. free speech) and/or the public interest will no longer be tolerated.

[DELIMAN092262]

Originally Posted by bigmac

This is a great example of legislation propounded by legislators who are no more than corporate lap dogs. We've suffered under such legislation for decades. This type of legislation is written by corporate attorneys and lobbyists -- and then advanced by bought and paid for politicians. This is exactly the type of bad government OWS supporters are targeting.

This legislation needs to be defeated. Our politicians need to learn and learn quick that laws that put corporate interests ahead of basic rights (i.e. free speech) and/or the public interest will no longer be tolerated.

I would suggest things are not as clear cut as you imagine. Check out the legislative sponsors listed in the first cited article. Check out the support by business interests and the union support.

Then check out the opposition. The opposition also includes business interests and two House members normally assumed to be in opposition to each other.

The issues are too complex for a simple left-right debate.

[Deven]

Originally Posted by DELIMAN092262

I would suggest things are not as clear cut as you imagine. Check out the legislative sponsors listed in the first cited article. Check out the support by business interests and the union support.

Then check out the opposition. The opposition also includes business interests and two House members normally assumed to be in opposition to each other.

The issues are too complex for a simple left-right debate.

I agree that it's a complex issue from both sides, but I feel it's a dangerous slope if this is passed. They've admitted that protected speech would get censored, which I feel is too far of a slippery slope to go down just to stop people from stealing media. You won't find a way to permanently stop it, you'll just be challenging them to find a way around the system, like they always do...

[LeoGibson]

The dinosaurs can see the ice coming and they are trying their damndest to stop it and keep the status quo instead of learning a whole new business model. Unfortunately they have the money to lobby and buy influence in our "representative" government. Hopefully everyone will keep up with this and contact your representatives and let them know how you feel about this dangerous bill and to oppose it.

[Big Beautiful Dreamer]

England's parliament has an unintended-consequences committee (it's got a far fancier name) whose job is simply to play "what if" scenarios with potential legislation. Maybe we should get one of those.

[DELIMAN092262]

So far this debate is mostly theoretical and between large companies. On the one hand there are owners of intellectual property like movie studios and newspapers. And on the other there are conveyors of that same intellectual property. The owners want to protect their investment and the conveyors don't want to be liable if that product is freely distributed.

Perhaps the problem is one of scale. There is another forum on Dims. It is the paysite forum. The beautiful young women expect to be paid for photos and videos that they produce. Yes, that is considered intellectual property. Perhaps we should hear from them?

[LeoGibson]

This is in another country, but it gives you a mindset into those that are behind this type of legislation and the players involved on the corporate side.

http://torrentfreak.com/copyright-co...aign-111201/?_

[gangstadawg]

Originally Posted by DELIMAN092262

So far this debate is mostly theoretical and between large companies. On the one hand there are owners of intellectual property like movie studios and newspapers. And on the other there are conveyors of that same intellectual property. The owners want to protect their investment and the conveyors don't want to be liable if that product is freely distributed.

Perhaps the problem is one of scale. There is another forum on Dims. It is the paysite forum. The beautiful young women expect to be paid for photos and videos that they produce. Yes, that is considered intellectual property. Perhaps we should hear from them?

here is a question deli. are you for the bill or are you against it? anyone for it more than likely has no understanding of anything involving the IT industry or network/ internet protocols or standards.

[bigmac]

Originally Posted by DELIMAN092262

...

Then check out the opposition. The opposition also includes business interests and two House members normally assumed to be in opposition to each other.

The issues are too complex for a simple left-right debate.

No one said this was strictly a right vs left thing. But it is an example of how huge corporations assert their interests. What's missing in the intellectual property corporations vs information technology corporations is is any consideration what is best for ordinary folks.

[DELIMAN092262]

Originally Posted by bigmac

No one said this was strictly a right vs left thing. But it is an example of how huge corporations assert their interests. What's missing in the intellectual property corporations vs information technology corporations is is any consideration what is best for ordinary folks.

Perhaps you should define just what is the best interest of ordinary folks? Is it the creation of “product” that can be sold? Or, the delivery of that product? Remember there are costs associated with both actions.

That is what this debate is about. There are no white hats. Which is better Coke or Pepsi? Both are large corporations trying to get those “ordinary folks” as customers.

[bigmac]

Originally Posted by DELIMAN092262

Perhaps you should define just what is the best interest of ordinary folks? Is it the creation of “product” that can be sold? Or, the delivery of that product? Remember there are costs associated with both actions.

That is what this debate is about. There are no white hats. Which is better Coke or Pepsi? Both are large corporations trying to get those “ordinary folks” as customers.

You yourself are always arguing that governments shouldn't pick winners and losers. In this case I agree. Our elected officials should regulate the IP//IT world based on what is best for the people they represent -- not the corporation that gave them the biggest donation. And our representatives need to understand that their constituents have interests that may not be important to either corporate side (i.e. privacy rights). Its not nearly as simple as Coke v Pepsi.

[Rojodi]

Originally Posted by DELIMAN092262

So far this debate is mostly theoretical and between large companies. On the one hand there are owners of intellectual property like movie studios and newspapers. And on the other there are conveyors of that same intellectual property. The owners want to protect their investment and the conveyors don't want to be liable if that product is freely distributed.

Perhaps the problem is one of scale. There is another forum on Dims. It is the paysite forum. The beautiful young women expect to be paid for photos and videos that they produce. Yes, that is considered intellectual property. Perhaps we should hear from them?

As of this morning, the bill STILL will allow ANY corporation - movie, recording, book publisher, etc - to have a blog/website/site/etc shut down if the site even QUOTES intellectual property, i.e. remember when in school you had to footnote EVERYTHING, well, if this bill passes, it won't matter if there is proper footnoting.

This bill is like killing a mosquito with a sledgehammer. In it's original form, it was to protect AMERICAN interests from pirated, overseas sites, but wording was changed, making it for EVERY instinct of suspected pirating.

[Deven]

The picture you have as an avatar? Someone else's intellectual property. This Bill bans even that.

[gangstadawg]

Originally Posted by DevenDoom

The picture you have as an avatar? Someone else's intellectual property. This Bill bans even that.

hell google and youtube would be affected by this bill.

[LifeTraveller]

Originally Posted by bigmac

This is a great example of legislation propounded by legislators who are no more than corporate lap dogs. We've suffered under such legislation for decades. This type of legislation is written by corporate attorneys and lobbyists -- and then advanced by bought and paid for politicians. This is exactly the type of bad government OWS supporters are targeting.

This legislation needs to be defeated. Our politicians need to learn and learn quick that laws that put corporate interests ahead of basic rights (i.e. free speech) and/or the public interest will no longer be tolerated.

Too bad they don't work for you, or me, or anyone, save those who pour cash into their personal coffers. Period! They've shown their total disdain for the voting public numerous times. . To prove a point I recently sent a completely blank email to my Senator (Sherrod Brown).. I got a typical response thanking me for contacting his office on an important issue. . So I have no faith in them whatsoever. . The only thing that will surprise me is if it doesn't pass. .

[Deven]

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petition...paign=shorturl

a good attempt

[Deven]

BREAKING: SOPA Vote in House Judiciary Committee OFFICIALLY Postponed Until Next Year

[Rojodi]

My 17-year-old son and I were discussing this on the way back from a doctor's appointment, and he was pissed, mostly because he wouldn't be able to watch the Youtubes. He'll be happy to know the vote's postponed.

[gangstadawg]

im glad talks have been held back. but when they start back up and if it ends up passing i hope the hackers go nuts hacking the politicians and companies that supported it.

[gangstadawg]

looks like there is a work around for the SOPA bill already although it hasnt passed yet. http://www.tomsguide.com/us/SOPA-Con...ews-13635.html

gotta love the hackers and programmers. no bill can stop them.

[Elfcat]

DynDNS, which I use to give an English name to my home computer (it's a free service but you have to put an updater program on our home machine which transmits your router's IP to their site), is very much against this bill. The latest I've heard is that GoDaddy originally supported it but just today its CEO was moved by activists and customers to abandon it (now if we can just work on his elephant poaching....)

[joswitch]

Originally Posted by DELIMAN092262

Perhaps you should define just what is the best interest of ordinary folks? Is it the creation of “product” that can be sold? Or, the delivery of that product? Remember there are costs associated with both actions.

That is what this debate is about. There are no white hats. Which is better Coke or Pepsi? Both are large corporations trying to get those “ordinary folks” as customers.

If SOPA gets through, its powers WILL be used to shutdown political dissent expressed on the internet and to jail dissenters.

Remember, history shows us that ALL powers will be abused.

[Deven]

Originally Posted by joswitch

If SOPA gets through, its powers WILL be used to shutdown political dissent expressed on the internet and to jail dissenters.

Remember, history shows us that ALL powers will be abused.

I think the companies that are for SOPA believe that because they are behind the Bill, they won't fall victim to the abuse of power that will happen if it passes. That it'll give them an immunity, of some sorts. Once the companies that are behind that realize that they will be treated the same way that the other companies are, I bet they will be singing a different tune.

So, once Newt Gingrich is President (hopefully not, though,) I'll expect his updated U.S. Marshall Service (cause why stop at Judges?) at my door to arrest me with no just cause because I violated SOPA by using his name. No one will ever hear from me again, because now that everyone can be arrested for no real reason, I'll be locked up somewhere for being a "terrorist."