SOPA/PIPA

[Goaliebot]

Didn't see any threads about it yet.

Wikipedia, reddit, and many more are dark today (18th) in protest.

This concerns us too as sites like this one would be easy targets for shutdown by SOPA/PIPA.

This isn't about wanting free piracy, this is about media megacorps being given the ability to shutdown any website they want with simply accusations of having or linking to copyrighted material. As far as I can see, forums like this would become impossible to host as the site is held responsible for anything members post (got something copyrighted in your sig or avatar?).

I personally pay for my media, I don't pirate stuff. I support intellectual property rights and copyright. But SOPA/PIPA are so broadly and badly written that they basically hand over all power to the mega megacorps to destroy any website for any reason, without reasonable recourse, trial, appeal, etc.

[STI 2NV]

I like the idea of these websites closing their doors just to boycott this idea, Good on them. I'm not looking forward to the power these people may hold in their hands if these laws pass.

[racerguy76]

I thnk those would really only affect US websites. It's still a stupid law that gives those in power way to much control over what is essentially free speech.

[Mike]

I can remember the days when none of these sites like Wikipedia were around. the world got along just fine.

Can't say I feel too bad about sites that use pirated photographs or video or whatever. When you buy a book or video, its clearly written in everything you're not suppose to copy any of it, for any reason, and that you can be penalized for doing so, so I don't see why people would be upset their websites get shut down.

It's gotten SO bad in the last few years with Transformers, that no one ever cares whose work it is, people just take other peoples art and photos.. hell even Hasbro's toys are getting ripped off and sold by other companies. The internet is huge to blame for that. Hasbro did really well back before the internet, they still do well today, and would continue to do well without the internet. Third party companies that are illegally selling their products over the internet? They'd be gone, and I personally wouldn't miss them.

Although I agree with dude above me, you can't shut down a server if its in another country.

[racerguy76]

Taken from http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R41911.pdf

The global nature of the Internet presents problems to the civil forfeiture approach. Only domain
names registered within the United States and subject to ICE’s jurisdiction may be seized.
However, many websites trafficking in copyrighted content or counterfeit goods are registered
and operate entirely in foreign countries. These foreign “rogue sites” often provide content
protected by U.S. intellectual property law to people located within the United States. S. 968, the
Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act
(PROTECT IP Act), is a legislative response to this jurisdictional problem. The act restricts
access to foreign sites promoting infringement or the sale of counterfeit goods by targeting
domain name servers, Internet advertisers, and financial transaction providers located in the
United States. There has been considerable public debate about this approach.

[Alexander Quinn]

I thnk those would really only affect US websites.

While I don't know if it's true or not, I do remember reading in some anti-SOPA site that nearly all websites ending in .com, .net or .org are registered primarily through the US, and would thus fall under the shadow of SOPA. Might not effect this site, but that would put a hell of a dent in the Internet as a whole.

True or not, this is still something that I hope dies a quick and complete death. It wouldn't "end the Internet" like some sites are screaming, but it damned well would set it back a decade or so.

[Team Jetfire]

The Chive is down today... GRRR.

Anyways, while I feel like it is important for artists to have the ability to protect their intellectual property, I think it is a very slippery slope if the US government (a questionably self-righteous overseer IMO) gets into the Internet police business.

Here is an idea; change the Paradigm. The idea of what 'media" is has changed and industry needs to change with it and find a way to capitalize on these practices.

[Knockout]

I did make a thread on this a month ago, but it was closed because politics aren't allowed on the board or something. Dunno how this is allowed to slip by.

Personally, this law has been known for a LONG TIME, almost 3 months. The people who want SOPA are the same people that invented and gave us the software to do the piracy in the first place. CNET, Kazaa, limewire etc etc, are all products given to us by CBS/Viacom who is the main supporters of SOPA.

And for those that say it only affects the US, it doesn't. There is also a law that passed and was hidden under the new trade treaty that allows the US to arrest anyone in Mexico and Canada. This is a global threat to our freedom and should be taken seriously.

[racerguy76]

The law will only have control over websites registered in the US. They can stop payments from US advertisers/banks/supporters to foreign websites and block the site, but only in the US.

Can you list your source for the law that allows the US of A to arrest canadian and mexican citizens?

[Cheers Ian]

2. No political or religious discussion.
These topics generally become heated so to avoid problems are not welcome here.