WINM Forums :: Off-Topic Chat :: OBLIGATORY SOPA THREAD

OBLIGATORY SOPA THREAD
Anakin McFly
2012-01-18 23:55

ADMIN

Forum Posts: 3074
Comments: 405
Reviews: 1
This is a thread protesting against the "Stop Online Piracy Act", or SOPA, which might effectively put an end to the Internet as we know it:

http://blog.reddit.com/2012/01/technical-examination-of-sopa-and.html

SOPA will allow the US authorities to block off access to any website deemed to contain copyright-infringing information, and to take action against the perpetrators. So if, say, someone posts a copyrighted video on YouTube, the whole of YouTube might get sued and the entire site blocked, all in the name of stopping online piracy and thus reducing the loss of revenue for the creative industry (though I believe it would do the reverse).

Among many other things, this will effectively destroy fandom, which will ironically probably end up reducing Hollywood's revenue. Because hey, if it weren't for all the copyright-infringing images and gifs and fan videos and comic strips and articles and things, how many people would actually be hyped up enough to watch movies over and over again and buy all the merchandise they can?

Under SOPA, WINM will probably be liable for suing and/or blocking, as will just about any other fan site out there. Meanwhile, actual pirates who make actual major money off this stuff will in all likelihood find some other way to do their business.

The bill goes to vote on January 24th. Wikipedia, Reddit and several other sites had a blackout on Jan 18th in protest.

I'm not in the US, but I know many of you are, in which case, there are PETITIONS FOR YOU TO SIGN:

http://sopastrike.com/modal/strike-modal/index.html

Help stop censorship and the free flow of information. Thank you!

ShadowSpark
2012-01-19 10:57


Forum Posts: 541
Comments: 33
Reviews: 0
I've signed most of those already.
ARYA
2012-01-19 11:09


Forum Posts: 2836
Comments: 74
Reviews: 11
I was offline from 8am-8pm. And I signed.
inkhuldra
2012-01-20 06:32


Forum Posts: 1364
Comments: 153
Reviews: 0
I signed, using a US city and postal code. ;-)
LucaM
2012-01-22 23:01


Forum Posts: 4841
Comments: 381
Reviews: 13
another head of the hydra...
ACTA

http://www.stopp-acta.info/english/get+involved/petition/petition.html

https://www.accessnow.org/page/s/just-say-no-to-acta



You must be registered and logged in to post on the forums.