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Stop Online Piracy Act


Magnetic Ether
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More links that might be of interest:

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3261/show

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3261/text (full text)

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3261/money (for and against list)

Requires online service providers, Internet search engines, payment network providers, and Internet advertising services, upon receiving a copy of a court order relating to an AG action, to carry out certain preventative measures including withholding services from an infringing site or preventing users located in the United States from accessing the infringing site.

Yeah, let's build visible walls and fences. That'll solve everything.

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For the love of fuck. DON'T make the mistake of thinking that this will just 'blow over' or anything like that. Don't rely on Obama to veto it if a big majority of congress lets it through (not saying that he wouldn't, but it's better to be on the safe side).

This is some scary fucking shit (in the sense that it could easily be interpreted as a means to shut down this site for example), and I urge all you USers to like, write an e-mail or even make a call to your senators/reps and explain to them how this is a bad idea, how it's unconstitutional, etc.

At least sign the petition in the OP. If there ever was a time to get politically active in the US, this is it.

E: Honestly, this kind of thing makes me wonder if it would be possible to get some laws in place to severely restrict corporate lobbies and donations, because this shit is getting way out of hand.

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Don't rely on Obama to veto it if a big majority of congress lets it through (not saying that he wouldn't, but it's better to be on the safe side).

This.

I know there have been similar bills before that have been voted down, but it is still rather worrying each time a new one pops up.

There is always a possibility that the current bill will be the one that goes through.

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Oh, what I said doesn't mean I'm taking it for granted - I emailed my senators/representative about it as soon as I heard about this surprise hearing. But the history of these types of bills (which Congress has been trying to push through for at least 5 years) is that the activist groups spread the message to shut it down and everyone does so because we know such a power grab would be immensely harmful to the internet. This is the type of law that would codify the type of legal problem that shut down an entrepreneurial organization that I was a part of about almost a decade ago (that was 100% legal but we didn't have enough financial backing to fight the RIAA). I feel strongly about this issue more than most people since I know firsthand how such a law can restrict innovation/entrepreneurship & the RIAA's bully tactics. I even pointed out how often this seems to get pushed in Congress.

That doesn't change that I believe that when push comes to shove, enough people will fight any such law because of how draconian it is. I don't think anyone who loves the internet would take such matter lightly.

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Really scary stuff. The wording of the bill is ambiguous enough that even someone linking to a site that has copywritten material is grounds for that first site to be instantly shut down.

But seeing as I don't live in the US, I don't really know what there is I can do about it :S

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Really scary stuff. The wording of the bill is ambiguous enough that even someone linking to a site that has copywritten material is grounds for that first site to be instantly shut down.

But seeing as I don't live in the US, I don't really know what there is I can do about it :S

Yeah, me too...that americancensorship site has a button that says "I'm not in the US", but all it does is change the ZIP code to 20000, so I really don't know what good that will do.

Thanks for those, I'd wanted to take a closer look at the bill itself, but I didn't know where to find it. I'm definitely going to take a look.

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E: Honestly, this kind of thing makes me wonder if it would be possible to get some laws in place to severely restrict corporate lobbies and donations, because this shit is getting way out of hand.

Yeah... the problem is that two of the three branches of our government (sometimes 3/3) are bought out by corporations to begin with. So, for example, our Judicial branch (eg. Supreme Court) is supposed to be the ultimate objective authority on existing law, more or less. And yet in one of their recent decisions, they essentially ruled that giving money is equivalent to "free speech", and because corporations are people under U.S. law, restricting their donations is equivalent to stifling free speech. Oh yeah, and several of these same Supreme Court justices regularly attend dinners and galas thrown by multi-billionaire lobbyers.

Then you have the countless congresspeople and senators who received massive donations from lobbyists to get elected, and the abuse just goes on. The level of corruption is insane. Of course, it's the Republicans who have become so crazy that they're actively supporting this kind of corruption, while most Americans are very much against it.

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I'm really glad someone brought this up. The legal implications are terrifying.

If congresspeople do not understand how bad this would be for not just the Internet, but the American economy, they should be committed to a mental asylum.

Think about it: someone files a complaint -- perhaps frivolously because they just disagree with a site or its content -- and in all likelihood, the site would then be blocked and its finances choked off while the complaint is investigated.

The site has five days to argue against it, which is a split second in the legal world.

As for the claims of damage to the American economy: completely overblown.

The majority of the people who pirate are not the ones who are going to say, "gee, now that I can't download it for free, I guess I better go down to Wal-Mart and pay full price for it." They just won't watch/listen to it!

The RIAA wants the rest of the economy to suffer immensely so that they can see a marginal rise in their already obscene profits.

This bill is, for all intents and purposes, the nuclear option for the recording industry. They want to make websites strictly liable for anything that happens thereon. That will kill the Internet. Period.

U.S. citizens: write - a real letter - to your Congressperson or Senator. Leave voicemails. This bill needs to die IMMEDIATELY

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So, for example, our Judicial branch (eg. Supreme Court) is supposed to be the ultimate objective authority on existing law, more or less. And yet in one of their recent decisions, they essentially ruled that giving money is equivalent to "free speech", and because corporations are people under U.S. law, restricting their donations is equivalent to stifling free speech. Oh yeah, and several of these same Supreme Court justices regularly attend dinners and galas thrown by multi-billionaire lobbyers.

Citizens United was one of the biggest joke rulings ever. It really sickens me how the Supreme Court is up for sale to the highest bidder.

Actually, it's ridiculous how bad it has gotten in politics overall. The corporations and ultra rich have gotten very aggressive in their lobbying in recent years, and it really has to stop.

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If the bill passes and Anonymous attacked various governmental institutions to attempt to get them to repeal it then I suspect most people would call that cyber-freedom-fighting.

Not to start an argument, but they are classified as an Advanced Persistent Threat by the Secret Service. I know this because I was recently at a conference for economic crime and the subject of many of the presentations was the security of the cyber world. Turns out, there's a lot more that the govt. agencies don't tell the public in order to prevent mass panic.

Point is, I hate the government control over the people (yay libertarianism) and yet I am aiming for a job at these agencies. Most of that hate comes from the fact that politicians, once they hit the national (or in my case, state) level, they instantly have their own ulterior motives that they try to jam into the woodwork.

Most importantly, though is the fact that Tensei's right. You should all be worrying about this as well, since as the big kid on the block, any changes made to American law will directly and/or indirectly affect your daily lives.

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The internet is the most advanced information and communications system available to the public. It effortlessly connects people around the world. Anyone who blames internet piracy for the failure of their media, is just looking for an excuse. Many video games, movies and music are pirated every day and the creators still have many ways to, and DO make good money. If they didn't, they would not be creating any longer. This is of course just about greedy ass corporations looking to get every single penny they feel they deserve. Said Corporations usually never created the material in question, but simply screwed the creator with a contract so they could get the rights to the material.

Point here: The creators are almost never the people complaining.

The internet has been available to people in North America for what....16 years now? It remained relatively un-censored for that long. If you suddenly censor a platform for creativity, words, communications, business etc. in a country after them being available for so long, it will be met with great anger and violence.

If that bill were to pass, I am quite certain congress would be very sorry.

I don't think it will pass though lol: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/sopa-stop-online-piracy-act-lawmaker-opposition-grows-as-debate-heats-up/2011/11/18/gIQADBdQZN_story.html?tid=pm_business_pop

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I'm really glad someone brought this up. The legal implications are terrifying.

If congresspeople do not understand how bad this would be for not just the Internet, but the American economy, they should be committed to a mental asylum.

Congressman/women don't understand because they live in a bubble. Some of the questions they posed at Google were downright ridiculous. They don't understand how technology works, or how its business works. This is why USA is so far behind in education, technology, and pretty much everything else other than in pouring money in military tech.

Think about it: someone files a complaint -- perhaps frivolously because they just disagree with a site or its content -- and in all likelihood, the site would then be blocked and its finances choked off while the complaint is investigated.

The site has five days to argue against it, which is a split second in the legal world. As for the claims of damage to the American economy: completely overblown.

The vagueness of the bill is intentional. That way, if a company or politician doesn't like an article that calls them out, or is whistle blowing them, they can get it shut down without a hitch. There's no other way about it. Just imagine all those sites that give an honest review of the next "BIG" shooter from EA or Modern Warfare, no honest journalism would exist. Not that it really does anyway.

The majority of the people who pirate are not the ones who are going to say, "gee, now that I can't download it for free, I guess I better go down to Wal-Mart and pay full price for it." They just won't watch/listen to it!

The RIAA wants the rest of the economy to suffer immensely so that they can see a marginal rise in their already obscene profits.

This bill is essentially what I have told others for years when this stuff like this tries to come into play. It's "old money" that has refused to go along with the directions consumers ARE GOING. They'll die off before they'll change, or they'll go through it kicking and screaming. The movie rental chains is a good example. Did you guys know that Nintendo is supporting this bill? I even e-mailed them a letter over expressing my dissatisfaction with them. Will it deter them? Not at all. They're "old money", who haven't gotten with the times and will only do so kicking and screaming.

Piracy for small companies, nay, for most that are affected by it, sucks. But it's something they have to accept and live with. Throwing money at the problem doesn't make the problem go away. Of course, Congress hasn't learned that lesson and probably won't.

This bill is, for all intents and purposes, the nuclear option for the recording industry. They want to make websites strictly liable for anything that happens thereon. That will kill the Internet. Period.

They'd rather kill the internet than go along with it. They're essentially asking for Government protection. Oh wait, that' giving them more control! The same thing they've been decrying for the past 4 years that there's TOO much already.

I really don't think that the president will do anything to VETO it. A grand majority of politicians are the same, bought and paid for. One side decries that there's too much regulation, and the other side tries to make bills that they know won't ever pass, so that they can complain the other side is stifling the economy.

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This bill is essentially what I have told others for years when this stuff like this tries to come into play. It's "old money" that has refused to go along with the directions consumers ARE GOING. They'll die off before they'll change, or they'll go through it kicking and screaming. The movie rental chains is a good example. Did you guys know that Nintendo is supporting this bill? I even e-mailed them a letter over expressing my dissatisfaction with them. Will it deter them? Not at all. They're "old money", who haven't gotten with the times and will only do so kicking and screaming.

Great part of a great article on that point:

"...A few quotes from the entertainment industry over the last century discussing various technological innovations...

The Player Piano

“I foresee a marked deterioration in American Music…and a host of other injuries to music in its artistic manifestations by virtue – or rather by vice – of the multiplication of the various music reproducing machines” -- John Philips Sousa, 1906

The Video Cassette Recorder

"But now we are faced with a new and troubling assault on our fiscal security, on our very economic life, and we are facing it from a thing called the Video Cassette Recorder" -- MPAA President Jack Valenti in 1982

Cassette Tapes

"When the manufacturers hand the public a license to record at home...not only will the songwriter tie a noose around his neck, not only will there be no more records to tape, but the innocent public will be made accessory to the destruction of four industries" -- ASCAP, 1982

Digital Audio Tape

The Mp3 Player

“Diamond's product Rio was destined to undermine the creation of a legitimate digital distribution marketplace..." -- RIAA President Hillary Rosen in 1998

The Digital Video Recorder

"It's theft...Any time you skip a commercial or watch the button you're actually stealing the programming." Turner Broadcasting CEO Jaime Kellner in 2002

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