SOPA and PIPA

[mothhawk]

The Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Intellectual Property Act - Wikipedia is shutting down for 24 hours tomorrow in protest at this proposed act. Will it curtail the freedom of the internet? Check out what the implications are here

[scarletrunner]

Couldn't care less!

[VirginVegGrower]

Nor me - none story!

[snohare]

Just about everyone has the idea that the internet as is, is uncensored. This hasn't been the case for a long time; try looking up The Terrorist's Handbook, see where it gets you. (On a watch list, is one thing. )
Operation Dark Winter was deleted from all but secure servers -it was the first proper biowarfare exercise, the lessons of which really rattled the teeth of the powers-that-be, the first lesson being, "For God's sake get all the dangerous details off the public radar !"
Google and virtually every search engine or online content portal will tailor what they present you with according to their ideas of what you want to see, based on previous visits or searches.
Section 27 (24 ? ) demands could force any US webhost or ISP to take down pages or sites, threatening lawsuits and prosecution, with no proof of malfeasance required; it was entirely up to the ISP to decide how proactive it would be on behalf of customers, and what type of proof or activities it would ask for. Tate and Lyle's lawyers used this tactic to remove websites critical of that paragon of food safety, Splenda. (Chlorinated sugar, the most insane substance ever willingly ingested by humans; you can kill ants with it.)
So SOPA and PIPA are just more of the same; the "democratic" world learning from autocracies like China and Singapore, where heavily censored internet is the norm. Whether or not these bills will pass is a good question, there are powerful vested interests in opposition. (Rupert Murdoch might do some good here, for once.)
But if you read this week's New Scientist magazine, you will learn how Namecoin technology can get round the likes of SOPA and PIPA...where there's a will, there's a way !

[zazen999]

Honestly, I've missed the build up to this as I've been horrendously ill for 48 hours - but this is about laws being passed that could end up with innocent users [including bloggers] in jail for posting anything that is copyrighted or links to a copyrighted document/item/song/ad.

So, post a video on Twitter/Facebook with a song in the background and you too could be in trouble.

[Florence Fennel]

I heard this on the radio this morning, but didn't realise the implications. Certainly food for thought.

[Hilary B]

This act (which I haven't looked into) is probably the usual 'sledgehammer to crack a nut', and while there no doubt is a nut which needs cracking, this class of legislation usually hits everyone BUT those who really need hitting!

[snohare]

It's just scarey how bad the legislators in the US are nowadays. They've always had their own brand of idiocy, but these days they seem to take it to new depths of incompetence. I came across an instance of state legislation recently - Iowa, I think it was - which beggared belief.
A woman had been assaulted with caustic substances by two men. Very nasty, permanent disfigurement no doubt; not the first assault of that type, nor will it be the last.
The local senator, with one swift knee-jerk reaction, had legislation passed that said everyone buying drain cleaner or any one of about twenty caustic substances, would need to be "carded" before they could buy it; a valid photographic ID such as a driver's license would have to be shown to a cashier.
So hardware stores with hundreds of potentially lethal substances on their shelves, had to either train their staff to remember every (relatively rare) carded substance, risking a huge fine if they get it wrong, or stop stocking the products. Guess which they have gone for... so that state has thousands of people, little old ladies and other non-drivers, who can no longer buy drain cleaner. (Although ironically, if a checkout operator, they can sell these substances.)
The sort of people they should be worrying about, meanwhile, will probably just go back to good old-fashioned lead battery acid, as was once the tradition. More likely, they'll send someone else out to buy it, or just buy it themselves, never thinking that they might commit such a crime in the future. Because contrary to the assumption made by the legislature, most crime is not committed by illegal immigrants with no ID. (Not until blocked drains get to be an offense, anyway.)
What's that Grape's signature...the one about preferring rogues to fools, because rogues at least take a day off ?

[Ananke]

Looks like a reprieve........for now.
BBC News - Sopa: US backers end support for anti-piracy bill