104 replies to this topic

[Disco Shrew]

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as H.R.3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill expands the power of U.S. law enforcement's control and protection of copyrighted intellectual property and impact counterfeit goods.[2] Now before the House Judiciary Committee, it builds on the similar PRO-IP Act of 2008 and the corresponding Senate bill, the Protect IP Act.[3]

The bill would expand the power of the U.S. Department of Justice, and allegedly the ability of copyright holders to get orders against any websites suspected of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who requests the court orders, the actions would include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators such as PayPal from doing business with the infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites. The bill would even make unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content a felony. The bill even gives immunity to Internet services that take action against websites dedicated to infringement, while making liable for damages any copyright holder who knowingly misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement.[4]

Some proponents of the bill allege it protects the intellectual property market and corresponding industry and is necessary to bolster enforcement of copyright laws, particularly against foreign websites.[5] Opponents say it is an infringement of First Amendment rights, is Internet censorship,[6] that it will cripple the Internet,[7] and will threaten whistle-blowing and other free speech.[8]

TotalBiscuts Informational Video
This video would signal the end of the web as we know it, youtube? Gone. Megaupload? Gone? Any Forum with Copyrighted Material? Gone. The internet as we know it will END, if this bill passes.

Edited by Disco Shrew, 20 January 2012 - 01:55 PM.

[Chief Grizzly]

TotalBiscuts Informational Video
The internet as we know it will END, if this bill passes.

Overstatement much?

[Burial Agent]

We will all DIE! It's actually written in the bill "everyone will die."

[Mad Max]

I read that as “The Stop Online Privacy Act.”

I don’t understand why copyright infringement is a crime when patent infringement isn’t. Why is infringing on the exclusive rights of one intellectual property holder worse than infringing on the rights of another?

Edited by Mad Max, 17 December 2011 - 10:00 AM.

[monkeyman]

Does this actually have a chance of being made "law"? Will it affect people outside of America?

[Numbers]

I don't think they can make that a worldwide law, right?

[Mad Max]

The United States Department of Justice doesn’t have international jurisdiction.

[Choked]

Considering how many things it will affect are based in America, it will affect everyone elses internet browsing.

Edited by Choked, 17 December 2011 - 10:29 AM.

[strife]

Servers will just move out of America, and no, there are no worldwide laws.

[Disco Shrew]

The DNS Blocking they use it far reaching, America's influence is worldwide, loads of content will be killed because people can't upload it in the U.S.

[zasku]

I read that as “The Stop Online Privacy Act.”

I don’t understand why copyright infringement is a crime when patent infringement isn’t. Why is infringing on the exclusive rights of one intellectual property holder worse than infringing on the rights of another?

Great question. I used to do some amateur music and I've been somewhat forced to wonder about the whole concept of IP. Don't have a clear and concise opinion as of yet, but my basic understanding is that patents are nothing short of a classic monopoly privilege. It's not like copyright where you have to prove the offender actually stole the work from you, it says that even if the offender came up with the idea not having any idea you even exist, you still can sue them. Even historically, the first patent act was called the Statute of Monopolies. As for copyright, I don't know whether it is unjustified to sue someone who copies your work, provided he has agreed to it upon purchase, but I think that if the copier is someone who did not sign the agreement, he should be let go. If I torrent something, I get it from someone who already pirated it and I didn't sign any license agreement with the author. The other guy has. In short, I believe patents are illegitimate and should be "toned down" to copyrights; and I don't believe any third-party copyright violator should be liable.

Regarding the SOPA, it's an attempt to circle around a direct attempt to regulate the Net. In-your-face bills have always failed so far.

Edited by zasku, 17 December 2011 - 11:21 AM.

[Mad Max]

I don’t believe patents are illegitimate. I was just wondering about the inconsistencies in IP law.

[Charm & Strange]

I don’t understand why copyright infringement is a crime when patent infringement isn’t.

Wait what? Then where have the clusterfuck of lawsuits between smartphone developers come from? Apple, Samsung, HTC etc. have all been suing the shit out of each other for patent infringements?

Edited by Fallout, 17 December 2011 - 06:12 PM.

[Mad Max]

Excuse me, I mean there are no criminal penalties for patent infringement — the government doesn’t fine or imprison you.

[Charm & Strange]

I was completely unaware that this was the case.

[Disco Shrew]

How did we get on the topic of patents anyway? This bill specifically goes after copyright infringement. Site like youtube would go down, or large parts of it taken down. MegaUpload was already taken down for a bit a couple days ago. The scariest thing is, some groups, don't even need to own the content to take it down, Like UniversalMusicGroup, who has a deal with youtube which allows them to take down anything.

[Cerb]

Considering how carelessly any media group handles infringement as is, this bill would be a disaster if it were to pass.

[Charm & Strange]

How did we get on the topic of patents anyway?

Try reading the thread?

[Mad Max]

My fault. Sorry.

[Disco Shrew]

Try reading the thread?

Well, I understand someone was talking about why Patent Infringement isn't illegal, then why is copyright infingement? It's the battle of corporations, it really is. For example, Activision is sponsoring this bill, so "other games" can't be advertised on youtube, because activison has the $$$ for AAA advertising campaigns.