Web Goes on Strike! January 18, 2012 marked the Largest Online Protest. Thousands of sites went blackout and protested against SOPA and PIPA, two US bills racing through Congress that threaten prosperity, online security, and freedom of expression. However, many are still unaware of what SOPA and PIPA all about and how could it affect the Internet and its users.
What is SOPA and PIPA?
Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261 , if made law would allow the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who makes the request, the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators from doing business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites.
PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 or PIPA), also known as Senate Bill 968 or S. 968 is a proposed law with the stated goal of giving the US government and copyright holders additional tools to curb access to "rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods", especially those registered outside the U.S.
How does it affect you? How far will they take all this?
Now the government and corporations could block any site, foreign or domestic just for one infringing link. Sites like YouTube, Twitter Facebook would have to censor their users or get shut down since they become liable for everything users post. Private Corporations will have the ability to shut down unauthorized sites where people download Movies, TV Shows and Music. An ordinary users could go to jail for five years for posting any copyrighted work-even just singing a pop song.
Sites that we have been using and had a great help to us like Wikipedia, Mozilla, WordPress.org, MoveOn.org, TwitPic, Minecraft, Free Press, Good.is, Reddit.com are just some of the many sites that will be affected with these bills.
As quoted by Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, "The internet is the most powerful tool we have for creating a more open and connected world. We can't let poorly thought out laws get in the way of the internet's development. Facebook opposes SOPA and PIPA, and we will continue to oppose any laws that will hurt the internet."
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