E-Parasite/SOPA Bill

[elizabethswann]

I know this is something that will affect us in the US if this is passed. We all use the internet on a daily basis (how else would we be here?) but if this is passed then this site may become banned for us as well as many others we frequent often. This is what it entails:

"This Bill would allow essentially allow A Great Firewall of America and would be a shameful desecration of free speech and any sort of reasonable copyright law. The new Law would allow copyright holders to force websites which have any copyrighted material to be blocked by ISP companies around the country, without requiring that the websites be given time to take the offending material down. It would also put pressure on ISP companies to monitor their users like never before, a gross invasion of privacy. This bill is a direct assault on a free internet and a shameful attempt by copyright lobbyists to destroy net neutrality. Essentially it's a censorship law that would end the internet as we know it in America."

So help out and sign the petition otherwise we may never see each other here again! https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#! ... t/SWBYXX55

This link is for those outside the US but would like to help as well: http://americancensorship.org/

[Wizzard419]

That already is going on now, companies no longer need to file copyright complaints to get material removed, the government will do it without those steps. Since the sites already violate the law there is no real objection from the rights holders. Don't forget that there is that legislation that (I think passed and goes into effect next year) pretty much ends all radio sites, such as this, since they are also not authorized to stream.

The problem with online petitions is that they are a form of slacktivision, they take little effort and garner little results. The white house has slapped down other petitions before that also had a lot of signatures.

[mindflipper]

Won't that just push websites to move to servers located outside the USA?

[Wizzard419]

Pretty much, if it's not on US soil it's not our problem and thus the problem must have been solved. Though they also might try a great firewall of china afterwards to block you as well.

Oh, forgot to add, the bill also would only block domain names of sites that are viewed as encouraging IP infringment/piracy but not IP's. So, for example subsonicradio.com could be taken out but 216.176.96.75 wouldn't.

[mindflipper]

It's funny how much China has been condemned for that and it could be possibility for the USA in the "maybe" future. Then again, it was shot down as an idea for blocking international porn from coming into the USA. Guess the porn industry had deep pockets back then to keep it from happening. But then again, laws passed can be repealed, like the 3% withholding deal that the govt. had cooked up years back as a way to get some $$$. After years of deferral, its repeal is working its way through D.C. now...

[Wizzard419]

Ever since 9/11 americans have gotten really easy to trick into giving up liberties and freedoms in return for the illusion of safety and security.

[Wizzard419]

I also forgot to add, it may be a futile attempt for Californians to contact their reps as we are redistricting to undo years of gerrymandering and in many cases members of congress are not seeking re-election in their district as it has been moved or obliterated.