SOPA Bill

[yabadabapal]

SOPA or the Stop online Piracy Act is a hot issue. I am just looking into the different and opposing points of View.

 

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-17/tech/30404716_1_sopa-internet-freedom-innovators

 

http://theoriesofconspiracy.com/2011/11/list-of-major-companies-supporting-sopa.htm

 

What do you folks think.

 

[ltljohn]

From what I have seen it is another example of good intentions gone bad. It is the typical poorly crafted and vague legislation that is open to many different interpretations. It will be abused by anyone with the smarts to do so.

[Mike]

We've always been pretty aggressive about policing potential copyright violations here, but I think that the legislation threatens websites such as ours. The sanctions are so severe, even for unintended violations, that they threaten the very existence of this a website that doesn't have serious financial resources to wage a legal battle.

[Gregori]

My understanding is that the bill essentially puts the power of enforcement into the hands of private parties/companies who have a financial interest in the outcome. Gee, do you think that might see just a LITTLE abuse?

 

While piracy is a valid concern, this bill isn't the answer. If you had a small ant problem at your house, you wouldn't try to kill the ants with a flame-thrower, wielded by a remodeling contractor, would you?

 

 

[yabadabapal]

You guys brought up great points. It really is overkill and would at this point in time serves only a few at the expense of many if not most. It was interesting to read the list of supporters and opposition. The old school has to give way for the new school.\

I was shocked to see that if your site is brought down by sopa that the site owner only has 5 days to respond before it becomes a more or less permanent shutdown. This nonsense will never fly.

The times they are a changing.

[Francois_Dumas]

It will put the US's freedom closer to that of China.

[Ken H.]

As of yesterday SOPA is officially dead. For now. RIP. Not.

[Ken H.]

Wikipedia and AlterNet.org followed through on their threat to go down today in protest, any others?

 

Is this (the blackouts) a good idea or a counterproductive one? I can’t decide. It may raise awareness of the issue overall, but in that SOPA is likely dead for this administration’s duration anyway, when it comes back around (and it will, sooner or later) will anyone even remember what the online protest(s) were even about?

 

[Huzband]

Craigslist & ADVrider are dark today.

[OoPEZoO]

I think it definitely helped awareness. The half a dozen guys I eat lunch with never heard of SOPA (or at least didn't understand it) until today. They had heard the buzz word, but it wasn't until today that a few of them dug in and actually read what it was all about. Made for an interesting discussion at lunch.

 

I was hoping more sites would join in.

[Rougarou]

Craigslist & ADVrider are dark today.

 

Craigslist is up, you just have to wait a few seconds, then click at the bottom of the dark page to go to the actual site.

[yabadabapal]

Its interesting to see googles front page with a dark box covering the logo to signify what would have happened if sopa had passed.

A lot of people including myself didn't know about this until recently. Apparently we have to watch out for ourselves because much of our congress and senate and others are watching out for the big money that financed their campaigns.

[pbharvey]

We've always been pretty aggressive about policing potential copyright violations here, but I think that the legislation threatens websites such as ours. The sanctions are so severe, even for unintended violations, that they threaten the very existence of this a website that doesn't have serious financial resources to wage a legal battle.

 

Exactly. Does BMWSportTouring really want to have to worry about someone posting a YouTube link or ride video using "illegal" music?

 

 

I emailed my Senators and Representative today.

[pbbeck]

Today's protests by the likes of Wikipedia and Google were great teachable moments for me. I was able to discuss some weighty social issues with my middle school students, some of which included: (a) Internet piracy, (b) the role that Congress plays in addressing/aggravating societal issues, © a citizen's right (or obligation) to persuade their legislative representatives to vote a certain way, and (d) what all this has to do with being well educated so that you may one day put a cogent persuasive argument together when communicating with your rep or senator.

 

 

[Mike]

We've always been pretty aggressive about policing potential copyright violations here, but I think that the legislation threatens websites such as ours. The sanctions are so severe, even for unintended violations, that they threaten the very existence of this a website that doesn't have serious financial resources to wage a legal battle.

 

Exactly. Does BMWSportTouring really want to have to worry about someone posting a YouTube link or ride video using "illegal" music?

 

 

I emailed my Senators and Representative today.

 

At the risk of being repetitive, copyright concerns are why we're pretty tough on potential violations. We're strictly nonprofit and use whatever donations people make to do the most basic things needed to keep a discussion board up and running. A copyright infringement lawsuit would threaten our existence.