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Have you heard of SOPA?
Well you should because it would affect your favorite websites like Facebook, Twitter, and even TheMasterG.com.
SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) is an online anti-piracy bill introduced to congress on October 26th, 2011.
Intellectual property owners (such as movie labels or record labels) would be able to pull the plug on websites that they file a copyright claim on. For example, Roc-A-Fella Records could file a claim on a website that is torrenting a copy of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Consequently, Google would have to remove the site from their search engine, a PayPal account on the website would be terminated, ad services would have to pull ads, and the entire website may possibly be blocked completely.
Additionally, if you link a website that violates SOPA to your Facebook, YouTube, or blog (like this one), that website would be legally obligated to remove it. That means no more sourcing for TheMasterG blog. If websites like Facebook, etc. let it stand the government would be able to shut them down.
In fact, if the government decides that any part of your website infringes on copyright and proves it, boom! Your website is gone and you cannot get it back.
But SOPA is pointless because the United States already has the Digital Millennium Copyright Act which enforces the removal of infringed material.
I believe technological, medical, and creative progress will be stunted if SOPA passes. The internet is a place meant for creating, sharing, and remixing. So let your voice be heard!
Tomorrow (Wednesday, January 18, 2012) websites such as Wikipedia, WordPress, TwitPic, Reddit, and more are blacking out to protest SOPA. On January 24, 2012 Senate votes on SOPA (and PIPA). What can you do? Email or call your state or congress member now! Here are the members you can contact in Michigan:
Rep. Sander Levin [D, MI-12] Phone: 202-225-4961
Sen. Carl Levin [D, MI] Phone: 202-224-6221
Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow [D, MI] Phone: 202-224-4822
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