Stop SOPA, PIPA: Pretending that Censorship Will Stop Piracy

Conservatism 101: D.I.Y. Political Education

How bad is the SOPA bill? It threatens free speech; will likely shut down Internet sites such as Amazon–or this one; and, change the way anyone on the Internet does business. It’s not just a bad bill–it’s worse. Da Tool Guy has the low-down on SOPA and PIPA–and it’s not pretty. It’s all in this week’s Conservatism 101.

CIVICS FOR THE MASSES

So what’s the Conservative Position on the Stop Online Piracy Act and it’s sister legislation the Protect IP Act? Probably not what one might think.

It would seem, on first blush, conservatives should be for the legislation right? It (supposedly) would protect the rights of capitalists who make intellectual property, such as video games and movies from infringement by “rogue” foreign Web sites.

That would be great if it were what the proposed regulations would actually do.

Unfortunately, as Wednesdays’ Internet blackout showed, it’s not what would happen.

These (bad) bills would give the same Justice Department which brought you the dropped New Black Panther case and Operation Fast and Furious, the power to shut down any site which is accused of infringing on IP rights — without due process, and with no presumption of innocence.

It should be self-evident that any bill which can get the Huffington Post, the ACLU, Darrell Issa and Glenn Beck on the same side is probably a bad idea.

What these bills would actually do, is give government the power to shut down any site which promulgates speech the government doesn’t like.

DBKP? Gone.

We repost a lot of stuff from various sites, all of it copyrighted, all of it currently protected as free speech under the doctrine of fair use.

These bills would kill innovation and job creation on the Internet — one of the few sectors of the economy still growing.

My friend Sarah A. Hoyt had several good points on this over at her blog Wednesday:

Unfortunately these two bad ideas walking are far worse than that. Not only do they strike at my right – at your right – to post presidential goofs or speeches that show the larcenous nature of representatives, but they also strike at my right to make a living with no reference to gatekeepers and people who will certify that I’m allowed to speak. … or write. If these two bills pass, your right to post your own work on Amazon (or anywhere else) is done for.

Don’t believe me? Read here: http://pjmedia.com/blog/sopa-and-protect-ip-a-line-by-line-analysis-of-the-bills-we-must-kill/ This was written by a friend of mine, who read the bill so others didn’t have to. It is not as bad as I thought. It is, in fact, FAR WORSE.

Note that being ACCUSED of having copyright material in your book is enough to shut down the SITE offering it. Can Amazon certify that no one who posts there has stolen anything? Of course not. And we’ve already heard of people who put up – without permission – compilations of other people’s work. Under SOPA or PIPA that would be enough to shut Amazon down, instead of – as should be – going after the culprits. Worse, I (and every other writer alive) have been accused at times of plagiarizing, or even “copying” other works. The accusations are usually just stupid and made by people who don’t realize you can use the same title, a similar plot line, or even terms used by another author without plagiarizing (yes, if you use them all at the same time, there MIGHT be a problem, but I mean one or the other per work.) One of these people setting up a complaint would be enough to shut up a site carrying indie work, while it’s “investigated” (and when are these investigations, done? Particularly as there would be thousands if not millions) by our benevolent regulators.

By the way, that little bit I just posted? Yeah, under SOPA/PIPA Sarah could complain and DBKP would be shut down.

There are so many problems with these bills it would take days just to list them.

Fortunatly, SOPA, at least under the current House, is DOA. PIPA? Well surprising no one at all, Harry Reid, (D-Nev.), the Senate Majority leader is saying he’ll pass it, even though the White House has even declined to support it. (Being Obama, he’s not not supporting it either).

The protest is over, the battle continues. Call your senators, call your congressmen, call everyone else’s senators and congressmen, call the White House. These bills MUST not pass.

by DaToolGuy
images: dbkp file; hubpages

DaToolGuy is a small town journalist with big time dreams. He’s spent his entire adult life laboring in the obscurity he actually deserves. But he’ll take the opportunity to show off when it comes.

DaToolGuy writes regularly at View from Flyover Country.

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