THE US SENATE is to have a vote on its PROTECT IP / STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT on Tuesday 24th January.
Campaigners fear that this legislation will stifle free speech and innovation, and even threaten popular web services like Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
In response the largest ever web protest in history is being organised today 18th January 2012.
The Act intends to deal with the online piracy that threatens the US entertainment industry i.e. the illegal download of films and music. However, the means to do this could involve entire US-based websites being shut down because some of their users have links to or use pirated material.
Why should this concern us in Hedon? A few infringing links could result in a website full of otherwise legal material being closed down. Website owners would become liable for the content that their users post. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook – and web hosting firms like WordPress (which hosts the Hedon Blog) – would have to actively censor their users!
The Hedon Blog does not support web piracy, however, in response to the threat to the free internet posed by this US action – the Hedon Blog will be wearing its Stop Censorship ribbon from now until the 24th January 2012 – the day the vote takes place.
This Video explains what the protest is all about:
SOPA would be quite draconian if it was passed and if sites allow illegal content and links to pirate material. … But it has little chance of being passed. So this is all an over reaction.
Something needs to be done, The recorded music industry has been virtually destroyed over the last 12 years. The film and TV industry are simplying trying to avoid the same fate. They face enough challenges in a legal online market as it quickly develops without the massive illegal theft of content, enabled by file sharers, but using the likes of Google to reach their audience The future of the worldwide content industries ( movies, TV, Music, Books, News, etc) versus the over hyped threat to my right to post
little rants like this ??
So please, lets have some balance in this discusson and recognise something needs to be done. Better to redraft and pass a simpler IP protection bill than take a libertarian position that destroys the entertainment industry. We have had our own IP Act in the UK, which was a sensible step in this direction to protect the whole Digital Economy.