SOPA: Congress At it Again, No Other Problems to Solve
While very few are for internet piracy of movies & TV shows, the new SOPA bill + the Senate version (Protect IP) is so vague …
How would SOPA work?
It allows the U.S. attorney general to seek a court order against the targeted offshore Web site that would, in turn, be served on Internet providers in an effort to make the target virtually disappear. It’s kind of an Internet death penalty.
More specifically, section 102 of SOPA says that, after being served with a removal order:
A service provider shall take technically feasible and reasonable measures designed to prevent access by its subscribers located within the United States to the foreign infringing site (or portion thereof) that is subject to the order…Such actions shall be taken as expeditiously as possible, but in any case within five days after being served with a copy of the order, or within such time as the court may order.
In essence if you claim a site is violating one of your copyrights, that ENTIRE website can be blocked by the US Attorney General/Department of Justice.
How could turning over the keys to the internet to bureaucrat cops go possibly wrong? Oh, there’s no due process or court hearings. They’ve decided to do the thinking for us.
The above analysis is from CNET. You can read the rest here.
You can find a database here of your representative and contributions from the pro & con SOPA lobby and support.
Belarus has jumped the gun on our Congress (via the BBC)
A new law in Belarus will restrict access to foreign websites and force internet clubs and cafes to report users visiting sites registered abroad.
The law, which takes effect on Friday, says anyone selling goods or services to Belarus citizens on the web must use the .by Belarusian domain name.
That would make it illegal for firms like Amazon or eBay to sell goods to customers in Belarus.
The law says people offering internet services to the public – whether at a cafe, club or in their own home – will face fines if their customers visit foreign websites and such visits are not properly recorded and reported.
But the news is not all bad – in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, they have passed a law we can all agree on … (via Slashgear).
Malaysia passes law requiring all restaurants in Kuala Lumpur to have WiFi
A new law has been passed in the largest city in Malaysia called Kuala Lumpur. The new law requires all restaurants to have WiFi when they apply for a license. The law makes WiFi access for customers a requirement for food operators when applying for a new license for a restaurant or renewing an existing license.
| « If You’re Looking For a 1969 Dodge Charger – It’s Bright Orange | Disney Pixar CARS 2: New TakeFive Amazon CARS Books/Video Database Catalog » |
5 January 2012
5 Comments
If “pro” is the opposite of “con,” what’s the opposite of “progress?”
Should look up the NDAA bill that just passed as well.
USA – soon to be West China.
Wow, if only I could get these kind of enforcement rights for my patents! Crazy stuff.
(MET: I have the one where if you’re typing on the computer and you look out the window – you owe me a dime. The SECONDARY WINDOW SERENITY NOW usage patent 🙂 ).
SOPA would be a complete disaster. The more people that understand this legislation, the better. Tell your representatives that you do not want it. Would you want to be arrested and convicted just because someone said you robbed them? Or do you want a court along with evidence to prove you did it? SOPA removes due process and ends internet commerce. They tout it as protecting movies and music from piracy which sure, it would do. But it go so far beyond that it is insane.
Not neat!