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| Protest Against SOPA / PIPA |
Members of Congress are trying to do the right thing by going after pirates and counterfeiters but SOPA and PIPA are the wrong way to do it.
Anti-piracy legislation protesters gathers to demonstratd against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA), which are being considered by Congress.
Wikipedia English had 24 hour blackout. Other sites, including google and the Huffington Post took the unprecented step to protest anti-piracy web legislation they say theatens the free and open internet.
Lawmakers are considering two separate bills The Stop Online Piracy Act...or SOPA would give the government the authority to monitor and shut down websites accused of distributing pirated content and stop illegal downloads.
How five websites are protesting SOPA??
Five major websites gone dark on Wednesday protesting two Congressional bills, which critics argue could curtail Internet and free speech.
If passed, The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate counterpart, the Protect IP Act or PIPA, would allow the US government to seek a court order and even shut down websites that contain content or links to unauthorized copyrighted content. Moreover, advertisers and Internet service providers would be banned from doing business with transgressors.
Proponents of the legislation include companies that are trying to protect their copyrights, such as the Motion Picture Association of America, The NBA, Pfizer, Nike, L'Oreal, as well as the US Chamber of Commerce, the Fraternal Order of Police, and the US Conference of Mayors.
However, voices of opposition include Internet giants Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, eBay, Mozilla, and Wikipedia – who say that the proposed laws constitute a First Amendment violation, promote censorship, and harm the democratic flow of information.
Reactions of Giants against the SOPA & PIPA:
Check out how five major websites plan to protest SOPA and PIPA:
"In order to be useful, weather forecasts need to be both timely and local. Social media offers unbeatable immediacy," according to AccuWeather.com's Social Media Coordinator and Meteorologist Jesse Ferrell. "Citizens worldwide can obtain critical, breaking weather information through mobile devices and transmit photos or videos of severe weather events on the Internet in real-time to platforms like Facebook."
Why Internet companies opposing SOPA and PIPA??
Internet companies and their investors would readily say that they're holding the "blackout" to protect their corporate interests -- and the entire burgeoning Internet-based economy.
"The success of Reddit... is one of the smaller examples of the success that has happened in our industry -- and will continue to unless bills like SOPA or PIPA become law," Ohanian said Tuesday.
Under the rules SOPA or PIPA would impose, Ohanian and others argue, start ups wouldn't be able to handle the costs that come with defending their sites against possible violations. Such sites would not be able to pay the large teams of lawyers that established sites like Google or Facebook can afford.
The legislation in question targets foreign companies whose primary purpose is to sell stolen or counterfeit goods -- but opponents say domestic companies could still be held liable for linking to their content. While sites like Reddit wouldn't have a legal duty to monitor their sites all the time, "you might have your pants sued off of you" if you don't, said Jayme White, staff director for the Senate Finance Subcommittee on international trade.
The Biggest Step Taken Against SOPA and PIPA
The biggest step taken against the law of SOPA and PIPA is by the wikipedia which is one of the most surfed website and major source of information world wide. Wikipedia was blacked out for 24 hours
SOPA and PIPA wouldn’t stop piracy
To make matters worse, SOPA and PIPA won’t even work. The censorship regulations written into these bills won’t shut down pirate sites. These sites will just change their addresses and continue their criminal activities, while law-abiding companies will suffer high penalties for breaches they can’t possibly control.
There are effective ways to combat foreign “rogue” websites dedicated to copyright infringement and trademark counterfeiting, while preserving the innovation and dynamism that have made the Internet such an important driver of American economic growth and job creation. Congress should consider alternatives like the OPEN Act, which takes targeted and focused steps to cut off the money supply from foreign pirate sites without making US companies censor the Web.
We, Internet Marketing Company, is also in the protest against SOPA and PIPA. Join this protest and stop the internet being censored.