Welcome to today's hot topics: SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act). Is anyone REALLY for it? Sure, I can defend aspects of it. I'm sure anyone can. Shouldn't a company who produces music be allowed to regulate how it's used online? Of course... but how much is too much regulation, and when does big brother get too much of a watchful eye? Frankly, the very concept of corporations being able to control what I think and say online thoroughly irritates me, and cynically I know that some disgruntled punk somewhere will make it his life's prerogative to make sure I never quote their lyrics and reference their music. Ugh, I could editorialize, but I'd just be ranting, so yeah, let's move on to the REAL main event here:
Wikipedia and other websites pulled their virtual plugs on Wednesday, January 18th in protest of SOPA and PIPA. Will their collective voices be heard, or are SOPA and PIPA necessary legislations?
Are you still unclear about what SOPA and PIPA are and how they work? Check out our previous educational post on the subject.
Ready, set and read!
"Although I certainly see the danger in piracy online, the web has always been free from over regulation (quite honestly, it’s probably the main reason why it’s grown at all). As it relates to SOPA and PIPA, I definitely don’t support any of these provisions as they currently exist—they encourage online censorship, create cyber security risks, and possibly allow for the destruction of start-ups by big corporations/organizations.
If things like this get passed, say goodbye to Internet publishing (as it is now), and say hello to tons of allegations of 'infringed content,' a lack of due process and blacklists.
If you haven’t gathered, I’m glad to see that this is causing a commotion online. It should. And hopefully it won’t be the last protest." ~Bea (beabroderick)
