SOPA and PIPA

[achiro]

Forgive me for not posting a bash Obama or blame Bush thread but just wondering the SF take on these bills.

[Ike]

I don't know about these other people, but these 2 bills are quite possibly the biggest pieces of manure congress has ever produced.

[jkjsooner]

I don't know enough about the bills to comment specifically. I've heard that it is both legally and technically very tricky. It's tricky to define and tricky to become compliant. At least that's what those who are against them say.

I will say this. I'm deeply disturbed by today's protest. Even if I agree with their stances, the fact that the likes of Google and Wikipedia are taking such political stances is troublesome.

If they are successful, we'll learn a lot more about the power of these entities than we will learn about the people's stance on this issue.

I know these laws directly influence these entities but I think this is a warning sign. Google and Wikipedia will get whatever they want because they have the power to do so. Let's just hope they never exercise their power in political topics that don't directly impact them.

[Curly Bill]

Isn't Pipa Kate Middleton's sister? My take on her is that she's A-OK!

[Ike]

Techdirt has a number of enlightening articles on what SOPA and PIPA would do. I'll see if I can find them and post them here.

[JohnnyMack]

Isn't Pipa Kate Middleton's sister? My take on her is that she's A-OK!

Let's double date. You take Pipa, I'll take Kate.

[Ike]

This one, plus many of the links inside (and the links inside those linked-to articles) have lots of good information...
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120116/10031617417/tim-oreilly-explains-where-federal-govt-has-gone-wrong-sopapipa-solving-wrong-problem.shtml

[Curly Bill]

Let's double date. You take Pipa, I'll take Kate.

Count me in. Get this set up and let me know the particulars.

[bigfatjerk]

I don't know about these other people, but these 2 bills are quite possibly the biggest pieces of manure congress has ever produced.

The Patriot Act?

[achiro]

I don't know enough about the bills to comment specifically. I've heard that it is both legally and technically very tricky. It's tricky to define and tricky to become compliant. At least that's what those who are against them say.

I will say this. I'm deeply disturbed by today's protest. Even if I agree with their stances, the fact that the likes of Google and Wikipedia are taking such political stances is troublesome.

If they are successful, we'll learn a lot more about the power of these entities than we will learn about the people's stance on this issue.

I know these laws directly influence these entities but I think this is a warning sign. Google and Wikipedia will get whatever they want because they have the power to do so. Let's just hope they never exercise their power in political topics that don't directly impact them.
Yes, this bill affects them greatly but as I read it it will affect pretty much any site that allows linking(this forum). I agree with Ike, this is a garbage bill. I disagree to the idea that defeating the bills will show the power of wiki and google.

[Ton Loc]

I don't know a lot about it but here are a couple statements taken from Gizmodo that seem to cause the most concern:


Perhaps the most galling thing about SOPA in its original construction is that it let IP owners take these actions without a single court appearance or judicial sign-off. All it required was a single letter claiming a "good faith belief" that the target site has infringed on its content. Once Google or PayPal or whoever received the quarantine notice, they would have five days to either abide or to challenge the claim in court. Rights holders still have the power to request that kind of blockade, but in the most recent version of the bill the five day window has softened, and companies now would need the court's permission.

The language in SOPA implies that it's aimed squarely at foreign offenders; that's why it focuses on cutting off sources of funding and traffic (generally US-based) rather than directly attacking a targeted site (which is outside of US legal jurisdiction) directly. But that's just part of it.



Here's the other thing: Payment processors or content providers like Visa or YouTube don't even need a letter shut off a site's resources. The bill's "vigilante" provision gives broad immunity to any provider who proactively shutters sites it considers to be infringers. Which means the MPAA just needs to publicize one list of infringing sites to get those sites blacklisted from the internet.

Potential for abuse is rampant. As Public Knowledge points out, Google could easily take it upon itself to delist every viral video site on the internet with a "good faith belief" that they're hosting copyrighted material. Leaving YouTube as the only major video portal. Comcast (an ISP) owns NBC (a content provider). Think they might have an interest in shuttering some rival domains? Under SOPA, they can do it without even asking for permission. (http://gizmodo.com/5877000/what-is-sopa)

Just click above for the entire thing.

That bill gives a lot of power with almost zero accountability to content owners. Goodbye youtube...

[Midtowner]

It's a bad deal. It gives too much power to copyright holders. There's basically no due process or oversight. The Bill is even possibly unconstitutional from a due process perspective. It allows folks to be deprived of property without notice or an opportunity for a hearing. One of the great things about our internet is that it's a place where new ideas can catch on. Would we be better off if Myspace had been able to be shut down by Friendster without notice or an opportunity for a hearing because the ideas looked similar? Or Facebook to be shut down by Myspace? Without the pirate site Napster really blazing a path for online virtual content distribution, does anyone think iTunes would have taken off the way it has?

[Midtowner]

http://www.techdirt.com/blog/?company=monster+cable

The above link is to a pretty disturbing article which suggests that Monster Cable, a purveyor of overpriced snake oil cables, has its own list of rogue sites which includes Ebay, Craigslist, Fatwallet and more. They consider sites where legitimate second-hand sales of their cables are made to be legitimate targets for takedown under this law.

--if the article is to be believed.

[Fraggle145]

I don't know about these other people, but these 2 bills are quite possibly the biggest pieces of manure congress has ever produced.

This.

[Fraggle145]

Count me in. Get this set up and let me know the particulars.

I'll take sloppy seconds.

[Fraggle145]

Yes, this bill affects them greatly but as I read it it will affect pretty much any site that allows linking(this forum). I agree with Ike, this is a garbage bill. I disagree to the idea that defeating the bills will show the power of wiki and google.

If they really wanted to cause a stir facebook should have protested for one day. That would get some attention.

[reflector]

If you go to the www.google.com website, they are blocking out their Google logo today. Wikipedia is shut down as well. The main page on the English version of Wikipedia reads "Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge

For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia. Learn more.

Contact your representatives.

Your ZIP code:".

This is simply a power grab by the government.

[AlboSooner]

The government will not be happy until it owns, and regulates everything. I've already contacted Coburn and my representative. Hopefully these two bills die down.

[Midtowner]

The government will not be happy until it owns, and regulates everything. I've already contacted Coburn and my representative. Hopefully these two bills die down.

Inhofe has come out against it.

[Breadburner]

Craigslist is down too...!!! Take that all you chubby chasers.....!!!!

[AlboSooner]

Inhofe has come out against it.

Coburn came out against it tonight. My e-mail did it.

[cleller]

All that crap it purports to protect can still be legitimately used to make its "owners" rich, if they just work at it, and keep their greed from going berserk.

[sappstuf]

Chris Dodd came out for it and thinks it is an "abuse of power" what the websites did.

I guess to be fair, Chris Dodd is an expert in abuses of power..

Here is his quote.


It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information and use their services. It is also an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today. It’s a dangerous and troubling development when the platforms that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests.

[Midtowner]

Dodd's a slimeball. He's retiring and now making sure lobbying firms know he's for sale to the highest bidder.

[Ike]

Dodd is also now the Chief executive douchbag at the MPAA. His "China does, so why shouldn't we" quote on webbernet blocking pretty much says all you need to know.

[hawaii 5-0]

Chris Dodd is now head of the MPAA and has a vested interest in how this plays out.

Hollywood hired a poiltician.

5-0

[Soonerjeepman]

actually my rep contacted me via a poll...yes or no...he was voting no...

remember THEY work for US...

[KantoSooner]

When something is technologically possible....it tends to be done.

The US can either choose to be like China and attempt (futilely in the main) to control the internet, or it can side with change and tell the media types to ramp up their game without big brother's help.

This argument harkens back to TV station market licensing, cable TV and the advent of home VCRs. The media industry, as hip as they like to appear, are always laggards and in favor of retarding modernization.

[Sooner_Bob]

If you think SOPA and PIPA are bad you better watch what you name your wireless network . . . link (http://yro.slashdot.org/story/12/01/20/1313203/police-investigate-offensive-wi-fi-network-name).

[TheHumanAlphabet]

Sounds like the Hollywood industry wrote it and told congress to pass it...

[soonercruiser]

Craigslist is down too...!!! Take that all you chubby chasers.....!!!!

What's a "Chubby Chaser"?
Is that man in Wamart following someone in spandex?

I'm glad you guys are on top of this.
I have been to busy lately to look into the details.

[DrZaius]

I don't know enough about the bills to comment specifically. I've heard that it is both legally and technically very tricky. It's tricky to define and tricky to become compliant. At least that's what those who are against them say.

I will say this. I'm deeply disturbed by today's protest. Even if I agree with their stances, the fact that the likes of Google and Wikipedia are taking such political stances is troublesome.

If they are successful, we'll learn a lot more about the power of these entities than we will learn about the people's stance on this issue.

I know these laws directly influence these entities but I think this is a warning sign. Google and Wikipedia will get whatever they want because they have the power to do so. Let's just hope they never exercise their power in political topics that don't directly impact them.

Your comments are interesting but the fact remains that if they had not taken what you call a political stance most people in the US would have never known about the two bills and congress/senate would have passed them in the night and then you would have had another government law that controls/eliminates your right to choose between right and wrong. By the way, the bills directly affect anyone, including yourself who posts comments/links/pictures/anything on the internet that THEY INTERPRET as copy right violations. Including this forum.

[DrZaius]

This guy breaks it down pretty well.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OS6fsvjC9vQ

[Turd_Ferguson]

Why is that dudes fireplace up near the top of the door? Weird.

[Ike]

9h2dF-IsH0I

[achiro]

Good stuff Ike!