SOPA - What the hell is it?

[Johny2x4]

The Internet is up in arms over it. But honestly most of the comments I get is "Internet being shut down!" "No more youtube!" etc etc. Can someone give a clear and no alarmist view of the bill and what will REALLY do?

[Ryokan]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

[AvalonXQ]

I would venture that no one can do what you ask.

Just like the DMCA, there are a lot of things that people can and will try to do with SOPA, but whether or not the courts and/or the internet business community will actually let those things work is another question, not easily answered.

That's one of the big problems with these bills -- their effects are usually at least somewhat unpredictable.

[shemp]

Originally Posted by AvalonXQ

I would venture that no one can do what you ask.

Just like the DMCA, there are a lot of things that people can and will try to do with SOPA, but whether or not the courts and/or the internet business community will actually let those things work is another question, not easily answered.

That's one of the big problems with these bills -- their effects are usually at least somewhat unpredictable.

Politicians rarely know what they're doing, and care even less.

[LTC8K6]

We will read the bill after it passes...

[Policenaut]

Here's a good article explaining the problems with SOPA and ProtectIP:

http://www.stanfordlawreview.org/onl...break-internet

[commandlinegamer]

There's a good, nuanced discussion on Slashdot regarding this (various articles; some comments may be NFSW):

http://politics.slashdot.org/index2.pl?fhfilter=sopa

[Nova Land]

Upchurch started a thread on this last month (titled Stop Online Piracy Act) which might also be of interest.

[Pardalis]

SOPA sounds like the word Greeks shout when they smash plates on the floor at weddings.

[Dancing David]

Originally Posted by Policenaut

Here's a good article explaining the problems with SOPA and ProtectIP:

http://www.stanfordlawreview.org/onl...break-internet

Interesting article however as a law review over broad and vague, it also fails to address many of the real reasons for SOPA at any rate and does not discuss the two bills individually.

Now the crux seems to be this
"The procedures outlined in both bills fail this fundamental constitutional test. Websites can be “completely removed from circulation”—rendered unreachable by, and invisible to, Internet users in the United States and abroad—immediately upon application by the government, without any reasonable opportunity for the owner or operator of the website in question to be heard or to present evidence on his or her own behalf. This falls far short of what the Constitution requires before speech can be eliminated from public circulation."

Now here is my issue, internet piracy and crimeware is a real thing, it is not imaginary at all. It damages machines, it invades privacy and steals private property. these are real issues not to be ignored.

Companies and individuals loose their property because of it, bot nets and spammers operate because of it, and they do NOT own the websites nor would they want to defend them in a court of law.

Also if you want to go to a web site, all you need is the IP address, so that CAN STILL BE DISTRIBUTED and posted directly.

Now if you want to ask for judicial review, that is reasonable.

But regards SOPA, people do not have the right to just use other people's copyrighted material, period. You do not have the right to steal someone else's software, graphics, music , photos or movies. Period, just because people have been illegally stealing does not make it right.

Regards ProtectIP, how do yo suggest we deal withe real damage done by internet piracy, do you think that Conficker sites should have been allowed to stay open on the internet, do you think that the promoters of Cloud AV 2012 should just be allowed to wreck, destroy and steal?

Now there should be judicial oversight to make sure that no political impropriety occurs where suppression of free speech actually occurs, but stealing in not protected by the first amendment.

[Johny2x4]

Originally Posted by Dancing David

But regards SOPA, people do not have the right to just use other people's copyrighted material, period. You do not have the right to steal someone else's software, graphics, music , photos or movies. Period, just because people have been illegally stealing does not make it right.

Well, plenty of people here use avatars of pics. Would that count as "stealing"?

Personally, I pirate and I have no problems admitting it, there´s series I can´t watch so I download them, some movies also never debut here, so I also download them I know it´s not right, but then again, here as long as people aren´t stealing stuff out in the open, nobody really gives a ****. I know of stories of cops and judges who have pirated consoles and other media material too.

[Alareth]

The rules in Protect IP will wreak havoc with the internet. The demands it makes simply are not possible, DNS doesn't work that way.

As the headline of an article I read the other day states, "Dear Congress, It's No Longer OK To Not Know How The Internet Works"

It was cute when Stevens called it a bunch of tubes or any other list of congressmen making silly comments and laughing about not understanding it.

Now it's detrimental to the way the world works. Now they are being lead down the path of destroying the fundamental underpinnings of something we've all come to rely on.

Outside of the entertainment industry and the ignorance of those in congress you are hard pressed to find anyone that supports either bill.

[AvalonXQ]

Originally Posted by Dancing David

Now if you want to ask for judicial review, that is reasonable.

But this is the very problem people have with SOPA -- like the DMCA takedown notice, it puts procedures in play that suppress content without going through a judicial review process first. Correct me if I'm wrong, but everything that SOPA lets you do could already be done with a court order, if you're willing to jump through the hoops to get one; these bills are about bypassing those hoops.