Sopa/pipa

[Zep]

Kind of surprised there isn't a thread for this already.

Anyone care to share their thoughts/stances on the proposed SOPA/PIPA bills?

Google's Matt Cutts On Why SOPA Is Bad For Everyone - The Consumerist

[Zep]

Wow, I didn't notice that there was already a thread for this that I had already posted in. I need a cup of coffee apparenty...

Link to original thread: http://www.philadelphiaspeaks.com/fo...tml#post458619

[Hospitalitygirl]

Well this now makes 3

[Gio7707]

alraedy three threads ... kind a slow forum ..

PIPA and SOPA Co-Sponsors Abandon Bills

The widespread Internet blackout Wednesday, in which sites such as Wikipedia and Reddit went dark to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), seems to have influenced members of the U.S. Congress.

PIPA co-sponsor Florida Sen. Marco Rubio pulled his name from the bill Wednesday and SOPA co-sponsor Arizona Rep. Ben Quayle pulled his name Tuesday.

Rubio communicated his withdrawal via a Facebook post, titled “A Better Way to Fight the Online Theft of American Ideas and Jobs,” in which he argues congress should avoid rushing to pass the bill that could have unintended consequences.


PIPA and SOPA Co-Sponsors Abandon Bills

[StrangeTanks]

Congress is a bunch of weenies waiting for bribes to come in. When it takes a massive public protests to go against special interests then its fairly obvious our elected officials don't give a damn about the public good.

[enyo]

Isn't this a giant First Amendment issue? I can see our elected idiots waste our tax money on passing this only to get the government sued and the bill overturned a few months later. One article said the RIAA has gotten the government to write 16 pieces of legislation of the past 10 years that hasn't accomplished a damn thing. The whole thing reeks of China's porn ban. Our country slides more and more into a nannystate mentality every year.

[Sailaway]

Interesting, the FBI just shut down Megaupload and charged the site's operators for copyright violations WITHOUT THE AID OF SOPA AND PIPA!

Feds Say 7 From Megaupload.com Ran Massive Worldwide Piracy Website | Fox News

So, we see SOPA and PIPA were never needed to do what the government were claimed to be so badly needed for...

[enyo]

Interesting, the FBI just shut down Megaupload and charged the site's operators for copyright violations WITHOUT THE AID OF SOPA AND PIPA!

Feds Say 7 From Megaupload.com Ran Massive Worldwide Piracy Website | Fox News

So, we see SOPA and PIPA were never needed to do what the government were claimed to be so badly needed for...

Isn't that overkill though? I use sites like that once in a while when I have to to send files that are too large for email.
The idea that Megaupload, Adobe send it now, etc are supposed to monitor what people are uploading or downloading seems a bit unfair. Its like calling fedex a massive drug ring for the 1% that mails drugs through them. These people would probably love to wipe libraries off the face of the earth.

[Sailaway]

Oh, I agree, the legit content on Megaupload undoubtedly easily outweighs the pirated. I participate in a few Train and flight sims that host exclusively on there. Pirated content never lasted long there and an email to them was enough to take down a file, no questions asked, no "proper" DMCA violation needed to be filed.

But the real issue is, this case demonstrates that the government has had the power to take down pirates in a SOPA/PIPA-like manner all along (and I and many others knew this long before this issue came up). Therefore, SOPA/PIPA were never needed for their stated purpose - it was purely a power grab.

[salf]

In response to Megaupload.com take down:

Anonymous Hacks CBS, Universal Music --

[Sailaway]

Filesonic apparently shut down sharing capability as well.

[enyo]

"It turns out Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, the author of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, has been caught red-handed infringing copyright with an image used on his personal Web site."

[snip]

"If SOPA, which would give the government power to shut down any Web site in violation of online piracy rules, passes, Schulte said he would be entitled to file a suit against its creator, Lamar Smith.

"So my conclusion would be that Lamar Smith's organization did improperly use my image. So according to the SOPA bill, should it pass, maybe I could petition the court to take action against texansforlamarsmith.com."

Smith did not return calls to Vice, but if SOPA is passed, his Web site could theoretically be shut down by the will of his own hands."

Lamar Smith, SOPA Author, Caught Red-Handed Infringing Copyright - International Business Times

Lamar Smith Memes