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Stop SOPA, save the Internet
- simius_ 15y agohttps://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/stop-e-parasite-act/SWBYXX55 https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/stop-e-para... https://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/9042/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8173& https://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/9042/p/dia/action/public/?...;
- sycren 15y agoSo.. The great firewall of America, Seems only 2 years ago when Obama was defending the freedom of the internet. http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1939572,00.html http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1939572,00.htm... I'm surprised that there isn't a huge rally on sites like 4chan and reddit which would be hit the most..
- sixtofour 15y agoHe wasn't defending the internet, he was fighting a hearts and minds campaign against China.
- sycren 15y agoDirect quote from linked article: "I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes, because then citizens of countries around the world can hold their own governments accountable." He also spoke frankly about the benefits of individual freedoms when saying, "We do not seek to impose any system of government on any other nation," before adding that unrestricted access to information and political participation are not principles held by the United States but "universal rights." Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1939572,00.html#ixzz1diiu3tmz http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1939572,00.htm... While you might be right, I still read into it as a huge U-turn in thoughts and policy. I hope it will not affect the UK, but inevitably it will in some form or other.. probably as an extension to ACTA :(
- sixtofour 15y agoI'm sorry, I've dried out to a hard, cynical husk in my old age. Yes, he did say those things, but I still say he didn't care jack about internet freedom, these were convenient rocks to throw at China. Any rock would have sufficed. And if the administration's actions now don't reflect what was said before, it's just coincidence. Did he actually take action at any time to defend internet freedom, or did he merely speak? The administration today, and congress, are opposing internet freedom by their actions. An example for the administration is their defense of the law that says any email on an internet server older than six months is considered abandoned, and they therefore have a right to look at it without a warrant. The only thing that counts for me is action, and that only lasts until the next hostile act.
- sycren 15y agoI agree with you, I meant that from outside America it just seems rather pathetic, I hope it doesn't pass. Its a bit like the UK Digital Economy act that went through in 2010 which is similar to the French HADOPI law. How is it in the public's best interest? I do find it ironic though that the US argues that the great firewall of China makes doing business with US companies difficult while supporting this bill that will do the same with local/national companies. http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Internet-China-Great-Firewall-censorship,13767.html http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Internet-China-Great-Firewa...
- asolove 15y agoOk, you've convinced me. Now what? I have time and money, so give me a call to action dammit.
- dsplittgerber 15y agoNot trying to provoke you and yes, it'd be easier that way - just trying to make a point. But you are, apparently, not really convinced. Otherwise you'd see what's at stake here and a ten-second google search wouldn't stop you from donating, to say the least.
- stephth 15y agoWhat's wrong with asking for suggestions on how to act?
- tikhonj 15y agoTell everyone you know. Share it on your favorite social network. The first step is getting as many people as possible aware of the ramifications of this bill.
- Aloisius 15y agoCall your Representatives. On the phone. http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml Seriously, there is nothing more powerful than a switchboard full of angry constituents.
- songrabbit 15y agoIf you are on android, I made this quick app to go from zip code to a list of your representatives and a call button for each of them. https://market.android.com/details?id=com.politicall.android https://market.android.com/details?id=com.politicall.android
- metachris 15y agoUgly but really useful. Thanks!
- darkane 15y agoI wouldn't argue against contacting your representative, but I'm curious: Has there ever been a documented occasion where a politician actually switched their stance based on e-mails, letters, phone calls, or anything other than a significant amount of money? I've never received a response from my local or state representatives that wasn't a convoluted and cordial "fuck you."
- quanticle 15y agoThe first bank bailout (in 2008) failed in the House of Representatives. Then the Dow Jones Industrial Average tanked ~900 points and the call volume to many representatives went from half-and-half to 3:1 in favor. That was the deciding factor in the lot of representatives decisions.
- cynest 15y agoThis. My representative (Adam Schiff) is one of the cosponsors. I find hard to believe that anything a lowly college student can say will seriously affect his chances of changing his vote.
- jasonlotito 15y agoStill, you should say something, and tell him how this will impact you. While he is a co-sponsor, that doesn't mean you can't add your voice.
- khafra 15y agoTell him that, as a college student with lots of social connections, if he neuters the internet like this you're going to have a whole lot of spare time--and you'll devote all of it to organizing protests against his re-election and/or any enterprise he chooses to pursue after leaving office.
- seagreen 15y agoDo it nicely of course, but basically that's what you should say. Play to your strengths. You don't own a company -- maybe you don't even own a suit -- so you play to a college student's strengths which are social media connections and spare time.
- babarock 15y agoI'm not a US citizen. 1) To what extent am I really going to get affected by such a bill? 2) Is there anything I can do to prevent it?
- holmesworcester 15y agoHey, I'm one of the protest organizers. Here's how it affects non-US citizens: 1) Links to any blacklisted site will get removed from US search engines, directories, and maybe even blogs through lawsuits. Google, Twitter, maybe even HackerNews. 2) Your non-US site can get blocked to all US users (ouch) and lose most of its search / social traffic (see #1) 3) Non-US sites can get cut off from US-based payment processors and advertisers. This will push sites you use into bankruptcy, and discourage others from starting. 4) Hollywood and (I'm ashamed to say it) US trade representatives and embassies will be busy convincing other countries to pass similar laws. If this law passes, that process goes better. 5) Countries that want cover for their own internet censorship regimes will be able to say "The US does it". Russian politics in particular loves these (sometimes false, sometimes not) equivalencies as excuses for anti-democratic measures. As for how you can prevent it, if your run a site or product with content in English, your site has American visitors, potentially lots of them. Same goes for just spreading the word on social networks. Participate in American Censorship Day and direct them to call their reps!
- julian37 15y agoAlso noteworthy in this context, a site owner who issues a counter-notice automatically consents to being sued in U.S. courts (a strong disincentive for sites based abroad) (http://torrentfreak.com/the-privatization-of-copyright-lawmaking-111112/ http://torrentfreak.com/the-privatization-of-copyright-lawma...)
- thret 15y ago5) Is what bothers me the most. If the US goes to hell, I have no doubt the first world will follow.
- damncabbage 15y ago5) Countries that want cover for their own internet censorship regimes will be able to say "The US does it". This is what I am most worried about. (America says "Jump", Australia asks "How high?")
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- keeptrying 15y agoWhy isnt there a crowdsourced lobbying startup? Essentially everyone votes on a particular topic and also donates money for that cause. If the cause collects enough money its sent to a non profit which actually has some lobbying clout to fight the battle on Capitol hill. Teh startup can take a small %age and ensure that people can quickly swarm together and effectively beat shit bills like this. Is there a problem with this idea?
- anigbrowl 15y agoThere have been several attempts, and they usually quickly turn into nonprofits or PACs themselves. They tend to reflect particular points of view because people who want socialist-type policies are unlikely to use a crowdsourcing mechanism that's already popular with, say, the Tea Party crowd. I have often wondered why someone doesn't just set up Republican and Democratic versions of the same service, with appropriate color schemes and so on.
- keeptrying 15y agoSo imagine it being a marketplace. When some bill needs to be beaten and a lot of money collects then the voters can select which lobbying firm to give it to. And this would lead to them getting the money and having to prove what they are doing with the money. So its like a marketplace connecting lobbyists to constituents.
- anigbrowl 15y agoOrganizations like the EFF already lobby on this sort of topic. There's no secret sauce or suitcases of cash involved; lobbyists are just people who know how to sell policies to politicians. Personally, I'd say that the the best way to move forward on this is to publicly write large checks to the EFF (with whom I am not affiliated, btw). Inventing a new market mechanism for this purpose is equivalent to saying that you don't understand how the existing marketplace works. This isn't something you can simply automate away, for the same reason that government by plebiscite is not historically effective.
- keeptrying 15y agoIf you are a US citizen, you can take action right here: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/sopa-hollywood-finally-gets-chance-break-Internet https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/sopa-hollywood-finally...
- toshiblue 15y agoYou can go to OpenCongress.org and "vote". They'll help you find your congressional district representatives and draft/email a letter to each for you. http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s968/show http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s968/show
- fragsworth 15y agoI don't expect this bill to pass as it is. Enough large, powerful corporations should be against it (most Internet companies). Much more likely: the major provisions will be added as riders to a bill that passes in haste, to get a few congressional votes.
- marquis 15y agoI'm not a US resident but I've donated to the EFF. U.S. policy dictates what happens for many other countries and it's not acceptable to have such policies become mainstream. http://eff.org http://eff.org
- megamark16 15y agoI just emailed my representative and senators. I also called my representative and left a message with a very confused sounding secretary/intern/lackey. You should too. Do it. Do it now.
- jxcole 15y agoDo you remember when the Italians shut down Italian wikipedia because the Italian government was going to pass something stupid? Since this legislation would make it possible to sue wikipedia in the united states, it would make sense for wikipedia to shut down in the US in protest to this bill.
- lurch00 15y agoAll these major sites should shut down for a day...or even a few hours. The loss of production from a site like Google being down would be outrageous. Why should corporations (which are people?) have the right to censor other people? It's like our bill of rights expired... I for one welcome our new MPAA/RIAA overlords. All hail the great firewall of america. This wasn't the change I voted for... /sarcasm
- gbelote 15y agoCan we lobby Wikipedia to send a similar message? Does that make practical sense?
- gbelote 15y agoJust sent an email to info-en-o@wikimedia.org: Dear Wikipedia, I admire your stance last month against the Italian wiretapping law when you shut down the Italian Wikipedia. I encourage you to please consider a similar protest against the SOPA legislation which threatens many websites, including Wikipedia. I believe raising awareness will do a lot of good, and Wikipedia has tremendous reach. https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/sopa-hollywood-finally-gets-chance-break-Internet Thanks for your time! Greg I have low expectations, but if anyone else is interested you're welcome to copy/paste my email. EDIT: formatting
- mekarpeles 15y agoThanks for the template Greg, I've written the address a similar please. Good work!
- mwhite 15y ago
- jrockway 15y agoI'm looking forward to this bill passing. As soon as we drive normal internet activity underground, there will no longer be any stigma to being underground. Everything will be encrypted and hidden to people that don't "know the key", and Hollywood and the government will be the last people to know the key. Reading BoingBoing and downloading the latest Hollywood crap will look exactly the same to everyone monitoring the Internet except the person actually doing the downloading, ushering in a new era of freedom. Just like there are no laws regulating the sale of illegal drugs (and the market is flourishing), soon we will have an Internet that the government can't censor. Illegal is the new legal.
- libraryatnight 15y agoYou just rocked my sleepy afternoon brain. I guess soon we'll all be outlaws. Here's to flying under the radar?
- pfraze 15y agoThanks for reminding me of the bright side.
- caycep 15y agothey still screwed people over during prohibition...
- joejohnson 15y agoI was thinking something similar. A darknet (or something like that) will become necessary, and it will become commonplace for people to use. It is currently like this in China, were many non-tech savvy individuals commonly use anonymizers or proxies. However, what is really scary is the prospect of the government having this ability, but only exercising their power to silence dissent in secret, low-profile cases. Then, people who use TOR or similar will continue to be viewed as paranoid/criminals/conspiracy-theorists.
- mquander 15y agoYes, and just like illegal drugs, the government will have yet another unrelated crime it can arrest you for when you happen to antagonize it or do some other legal-but-looked-dimly-upon thing. What a utopia.
- seagreen 15y agoSomeone should make a short list of "best practices" for contacting your representatives. For instance, is there an easy way to set up a second google voice number so you don't end up getting called a million times during election season? And does anyone have apps to recommend for finding your representatives phone numbers, such as songrabbit's below?
- therandomguy 15y ago1. Can Google pay $1mn to each senator and buy them out? 2. Can/will Obama veto this?
- DenisM 15y agoGet involved by writing your representative and making sure your facebook friends know about this: https://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/9042/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=8173& https://wfc2.wiredforchange.com/o/9042/p/dia/action/public/?...;
- wyck 15y agoIn all honesty at this point I don't care. It's part of the evolutionary cycle of the internet, the laws cannot keep up with both the demand and the technology, close one door and several others open up.
- HilbertSpace 15y agoWho are the Congressmen and Senators for the bill? What is the WH position? What are the chances of passage and signing?
- dhimes 15y agoIn case anybody is interested, this looks like the bill [pdf] http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/112%20HR%203261.pdf http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/112%20HR%203261.pdf EDIT: Here's the TOC: Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Savings and severability clauses. TITLE I—COMBATING ONLINE PIRACY Sec. 101. Definitions. Sec. 102. Action by Attorney General to protect U.S. customers and prevent U.S. support of foreign infringing sites. Sec. 103. Market-based system to protect U.S. customers and prevent U.S. funding of sites dedicated to theft of U.S. property. Sec. 104. Immunity for taking voluntary action against sites dedicated to theft of U.S. property. Sec. 105. Immunity for taking voluntary action against sites that endanger public health. Sec. 106. Guidelines and study. Sec. 107. Denying U.S. capital to notorious foreign infringers. TITLE II—ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS TO COMBAT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY THEFT Sec. 201. Streaming of copyrighted works in violation of criminal law. Sec. 202. Trafficking in inherently dangerous goods or services. Sec. 203. Protecting U.S. businesses from foreign and economic espionage. Sec. 204. Amendments to sentencing guidelines. Sec. 205. Defending intellectual property rights abroad.
- Macha 15y agoI reckon people here are the most likely to know, so sorry for the slight derailment, but.. I am Irish, with a .com site hosted on servers in the UK. How does this affect me? I'm sure the US still claims a lot of influence over .com so it probably does some way.
- 5l 15y agoThe US authorities can already seize domains under their jurisdiction (as to whether or not the process is legal, I think the jury is still out on that). This includes .com/.net/.org/.us. Google 'ICE domain seizures'.
- ck2 15y agoIf you thought bogus, automated, DMCA takedowns on youtube were bad, you haven't seen anything yet if this passes.
- simius_ 15y agoResponse from Maria Cantwell: Thank you for contacting me about the internet streaming of copyrighted material. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue, and sincerely regret the delayed response. On May 12, 2011, Senator Leahy (D-VT) introduced S. 968, the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property (PROTECT IP) Act. Under current federal law, U.S. law enforcement officials and holders of copyrights, trademarks, and patents, have limited legal remedies available to combat internet websites that are registered in foreign countries but operate in the United States by selling products, services, and/or content that violates U.S. intellectual property law. If enacted, the proposed legislation would create an expedited process for the Department of Justice and intellectual property rights holders to shut down through a court order these websites by targeting, the owners and operators of the Internet site, if known, or the domain name registrant associated with the Internet site. The proposed legislation would require the Department of Justice to demonstrate to the Court that the Internet site accessed by the domain name is "dedicated to infringing activities." Such a website would have no other significant use other than engaging in, enabling, or facilitating infringing activities. Once a court order is issued, domestic operators of domain name servers would be required to effectively prevent online users from accessing the infringing Internet site. Providers of online information location tools would be required to take technically feasible and reasonable measures to remove or disable access to such an Internet site, including not providing a hypertext link. Finally, financial institutions involved in online transactions and Internet advertising companies would be prohibited from doing business with any Internet site subject to a Court order under the legislation. Intellectual property rights holders can take Internet payment and advertising companies to court if they believe these companies are not complying with the law. This legislation was reported out of the Judiciary Committee on July 22, 2011, and is awaiting action by the full Senate. While I am supportive of the goals of the bill, I am deeply concerned that the definitions and the means by which the legislation seeks to accomplish these goals will hurt innovation and threaten online speech. Please be assured that I will keep your thoughts in mind should I have the opportunity to vote on this or similar legislation regarding intellectual property rights. Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates for Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.
- fredleblanc 15y agoSo this bill seems to target any link on your website. Let's say that you have a blog that allows for people to post things as comments using a service like DISQUS. Could one request essentially take down the entire DISQUS service? Same with Facebook comments that are becoming more and more popular: could one request take down something like Facebook?
- hessenwolf 15y agoOr a whois site, linking to every domain on the internet?
- russell 15y agoWondering , who the hell are these people who write such laws, I Googled John Conyers. In the results was a story that his wife had been sentenced to Federal prison for bribery. I hope this is the nadir and the only way forward is up, but I'm not hugely optimistic.
- jmtame 15y ago"On September 22, 2011, a letter signed by greater than 350 businesses and organizations — including names such as NBCUniversal, Pfizer, Ford Motor Company, Revlon, NBA, and Macmillan — was sent to Congress encouraging the passage of infringing website censorship legislation this year." "Opponents of the bill include tech giants such as Google, Yahoo!, and eBay, as well as human rights organizations such as Reporters Without Borders, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Human Rights Watch." [1] I've lost respect for the companies in the first paragraph, and have gained some for the companies in the second. [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act
- redthrowaway 15y agoNetflix appears to be in the first category, as well. They would do well to clarify their position. The last thing they need is more bad press in the tech world.
- sukuriant 15y agoI strongly agree. Though if I had to guess (I DO NOT WORK FOR NETFLIX), I would imagine that they're trying to stay on the good side of their content providers, since they're the ones keeping Netflix in business. I can see where there coming from, but cannot take the same stance as them.
- zobzu 15y agoNot surprised by categories to be honest. I didnt lose respects for the first ones. They didn't have any to begin with. I only gained more respect, for the second set.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- artursapek 15y agoAre there enough lawyers and courthouses to take on this potential mass of extra stupid lawsuits?
- Garbage 15y agoThis might not be the best way to say, but whenever I see the patent and IP situation in US, I fell very happy that I live in India.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- sneak 15y agoThe Internet != USA. If America wants to shoot itself in the foot w/r/t one of their only competitive advantages in the global marketplace, I say: Let them. Think of how fast that will accelerate the solution!