How Has SOPA's Defeat Shaped Current Internet Regulation Debates?

[Greg Bernhardt]

What a week it has been for that little anti-piracy bill known as SOPA. *Together with her sister bill in the Senate, PIPA, these two bills took a considerable drubbing. *They appear, for all intents and purposes, to be completely … Continue reading →http://stats.wordpress.com/b.gif?host=virtualnavigator.wordpress.com&blog=11498882&post=827&subd=virtualnavigator&ref=&feed=1

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[Drakkith]

Good riddance! Not that I'm against something to combat piracy and other related stuff, but this bill was terribly designed.

 

[Curious3141]

Thanks Greg, for the update and the really good news!

I was pleasantly surprised (amazed, even) to read this:

How did we get here when a week ago these bills had super-majority support? Unless you’ve been living totally off the grid, momentum started to build against them when President Obama threatened a veto if SOPA went forward with the most controversial provisions that would allow private companies to shut down any website using a court order if the target site linked to a site that linked to a site with infringing content. The President railed against this as a serious impediment to free speech and a major giveaway to special interests.

I did not know Obama had it in him. I guess he really *CAN* (make a difference) after all! I'm so happy he's POTUS. For now, at least...

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Thanks Greg, for the update and the really good news!

I was pleasantly surprised (amazed, even) to read this:

How did we get here when a week ago these bills had super-majority support? Unless you’ve been living totally off the grid, momentum started to build against them when President Obama threatened a veto if SOPA went forward with the most controversial provisions that would allow private companies to shut down any website using a court order if the target site linked to a site that linked to a site with infringing content. The President railed against this as a serious impediment to free speech and a major giveaway to special interests.

I did not know Obama had it in him. I guess he really *CAN* (make a difference) after all! I'm so happy he's POTUS. For now, at least...

I think a later passage of the article is more relevant to the abandonment of these bills;

The President’s move brought some attention to the issue, but the real game changer was the Internet blackouts led by Wikipedia on Wednesday. Suddenly everyone was talking about SOPA. An administrative assistant stopped me in the hall to ask about it, saying that she and a number of other people had been discussing it earlier. Moreover, all those who couldn’t find the simple information they’d come to expect from Wikipedia began inundating their representatives with calls. Democracy in action! It was beautiful. Suddenly, supporters of the bills scattered away from it like roaches from a flashlight until it was pulled by its sponsors.

 

[Curious3141]

I think a later passage of the article is more relevant to the abandonment of these bills;

Of course, I know that the massive internet publicity campaign was the game changer here, but it's still reassuring that Obama views the issue the right way.

Unless it's just a pre-election tactic? Nah, let's not get cynical.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Of course, I know that the massive internet publicity campaign was the game changer here, but it's still reassuring that Obama views the issue the right way.

Unless it's just a pre-election tactic? Nah, let's not get cynical.

Hmm I was pretty sure I heard that the grounds that Obama objected to SOPA over were cybersecurity ones (the removal of DNS would apparently leave American networks open to attack) rather than social/political ones. But that may have changed after public opinion showed to be overwhelmingly anti-SOPA.

EDIT: Seems that Obama's spokesperson did come out with something about freedom of expression

President Obama “will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression,” White House spokesman Jay Carney said Tuesday.

Source = http://www.texasinsider.org/?p=57474

So perhaps we can suspend cynicism for now

 

[ViewsofMars]

Here's a very impressive website that lists organizations and people opposing SOPA and PIPA: 'List of Those Expressing Concern With SOPA & PIPA'
http://www.cdt.org/report/list-organizations-and-individuals-opposing-sopa
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I think that Wikipedia along with quite a few other organizations and people are protesting for *good* reason. One thing is that it might shut down online libraries. The more I think about it that would mean to me the public wouldn't have access to the Library of Congress whose mission is: "The Library's mission is to support the Congress in fulfilling its constitutional duties and to further the progress of knowledge and creativity for the benefit of the American people."(1) And take a peek at the Library link (url) below as noted in my#2. It has a section on Film and Sound Recordings. It makes me wonder what the heck is going on. Honestly, I see a conflict of interest regarding what Congress was attempting to do but thank goodness the President stepped in right away and put a hold on that stuff for the time being.

1. http://www.loc.gov/about/mission.html

2. http://www.loc.gov/index.html

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[Pyrrhus]

I have been following SOPA intermittently. I agree the internet is basically lawless, and it needs regulation. People say regulate what?, but the truth is anyone can Record Anything and post it without much problem. DCMA works only within USA. We need a GLOBAL agreement as the internet is global. The obvious targets are search engines, why? because that's how we typically find about websites to access their services. Google is a major target. Furthermore, Google has not incentive to spent capital policing what their spiders add to the listings. I think Europe has a better approach to this.

There is a need to strong copyright laws, and internet privacy laws. There is too much information that is being extracted from all of us, and some of that information is potentially dangerous to be freely available to anyone. This is the reason why I have decided not to partake into any social networking, and anything that "customizes the internet experience according to my profile". The "individualization" of internet surfing has very dangerous implications, especially with the current weak laws. Just do a search online for internet privacy cases.

In the case of copyright laws, we need a GLOBAL control. It is necessary to be able to EXERCISE COPYRIGHT PROTECTION for content regardless of the country hosting the server. Also, note that a defense such as IMPROVING the dissemination and sales of content is a weak argument. Stealing is stealing, and companies must be protected. It is the same way as downloading a software, and cracking the registration defense to use it without buying it. If you can't pay, then you can't consume it (simple economics; the equilibrium will be adjusted by lowering the price if the company wants to make a profit). Search engines, and websites hosting stolen content must be held liable.

This website should help: http://blog.internetcases.com/