Stop SOPA

[Rikadyn]

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120120/14472117492/mpaa-directly-publicly-threatens-politicians-who-arent-corrupt-enough-to-stay-bought.shtml

[Lyinginbedmon]

Certainly the activity itself is nothing new as far as public knowledge goes, but to be so brazen as to declare on national television that you're doing it, at all let alone to push through tremendously unpopular legislature, is certainly a bad move for him.

[Rikadyn]

Also, if ya hear on the news that they've pulled the bills don't get too happy, there are already other ones that are coming down the pipe that are just as bad, SOPA/PIPA is a battle, but we're at war.

http://gcn.com/articles/2011/08/05/protecting-children-bill-could-kill-internet.aspx

https://www.eff.org/issues/acta

[epocalypse]

The stupid thing is still that this legislature is controversial as hell in industry, since most artists don't support it, having come to a much better understanding of how the new age of media and art is evolving and that this kind of legislature is the equivalent of shooting yourself in the foot with a howitzer. But there are still those ignorant enough, scared enough, and stupid enough in the old guard to think this is a good idea.

[empath]

Someone on one of the sites reporting this commented "isn't the POINT of campaign donations not being bribes that the funds are given WITHOUT the expectation of Quid Pro Quo? Isn't Dodd publicly admitting guilt of attempted bribery of public officials?"

My concern is that NOW this will settle down and the REAL D.C. Deals will be dealt out, in back-rooms with no media coverage; that slightly revised versions of SOPA & PIPA will slip through committee and under the radar...

Which, again, is all the more reason to stay vigilant!

[epocalypse]

won't happen. If there's one thing that's hard to do these days, it's pass net-related legislature under radar in the US. we are vigilant about it.

[Rikadyn]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/10/us-signs-international-anti-piracy-accord.ars

[Lyinginbedmon]

Well dicks.

[WBAGNR]

Act against ACTA!

Link to a youtube video on the subject

[Elomin Sha]

ESA now does not support for PIPA/SOPA.
http://gamepolitics.com/2012/01/20/esa- ... -pipa-sopa

People posting about this aren't very happy with ESA's very late back peddling.

[Lord Hosk]

they had to wait till it was defeated and the alternate bills where written so they could more quietly support those.

[Elomin Sha]

Wouldn't YouTube be pooping their pants if SOPA was brought in? I'm sure they'd be taken off line with the first 5 minutes.

[Lyinginbedmon]

They are pooping their pants over it, though as uploading sites go they're a fair bit whipped already.

[theDreamer]

Remember guys, youtube is owned by Google.

And Google was very much against the bill.

[empath]

Anyways, I just love that ACTA was signed by a representative of my US-metoo'er*cough-cough* I mean duly-appointed government leader when the specifics of it were kept secret for years.

(BTW, props to the EU officials that leaked details to let us all know about this)

[Elomin Sha]

Now, after MegaUpload, other file share sites are panicking.

http://tumichael.com/internet-marketing ... es-closed/

[empath]

So, PIPA co-sponsor Sen. Chuck Grassley got his twitter account hacked (maybe a lone anon who was feeling a little vengeful over Megaupload), and after a few choice blasts about the 'Hollywood buys gov't life-support' bills, he just let everyone else in on the fun by posting the account's password:


"chuck123"



I think Wil Wheaton said it best:

Letting these people write laws that affect the Internet is like letting a blind person write a law about what color you can paint your house.

[JackSlack]

US record labels trying to sneak SOPA's provisions into Canada's pending copyright legislation.

[plummeting_sloth]

See... I think the argument that "How can these guys make laws about X without knowing anything about X" are a bit wrongheaded. Now, Congresses complete disregard for advice from people that are actually experts in this field is troubling and I think a sign of at best elitist stubbornness and at worst outright corruption. However, them simply not knowing about it in the first place is understandable. They make laws about damn near everything. It's just not reasonable or feasible form them to pack this much information coming in. The real focus of our attacks should be on the processes they use to educate themselves and the laws they draft. That's where the real problem is, and honestly, you're going to have a much easier job fixing that than getting subject matter experts elected, as politicking is an actual skill that a lot of people aren't good at.

[Geoff_B]

See... I think the argument that "How can these guys make laws about X without knowing anything about X" are a bit wrongheaded.

Probably (or definitely) not the same thing but five words: Senator Ted Stevens, Net Neutrality.

[Sieg Reyu]

Chris Dodd: Dumbest man alive.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/23 ... ite_house/

[Sieg Reyu]

And getting back on topic, looks like the 'boycott ESA's cash cow' threat worked - way to go, Graham & Co.!

While I would like to give credit to Graham when and where possible, I think it is Penny Arcade who is once agian responsible for unleashing the internet.

http://penny-arcade.com/2012/01/20

[empath]

See... I think the argument that "How can these guys make laws about X without knowing anything about X" are a bit wrongheaded. Now, Congresses complete disregard for advice from people that are actually experts in this field is troubling and I think a sign of at best elitist stubbornness and at worst outright corruption.

Yeah, that's the really egregious thing here, and I think it's a little of both (well, $94 million of the worst, at least). If the pols here are supposed to have the ability to solicit the advice of ANYONE they choose, and the refuse to do so, that's even worse than just not knowing anything about the subject matter up for legislation.

Ignorance is one thing, WILLFUL refusal to learn is another.

However, them simply not knowing about it in the first place is understandable. They make laws about damn near everything. It's just not reasonable or feasible form them to pack this much information coming in. The real focus of our attacks should be on the processes they use to educate themselves and the laws they draft. That's where the real problem is, and honestly, you're going to have a much easier job fixing that than getting subject matter experts elected, as politicking is an actual skill that a lot of people aren't good at.

Ah, but getting back to above; if they are confronted with a situation like "We're supposed to make a law about this - I don't know jack about it." and they can SUBPOENA people to give them the info they need (if it comes to that) and [b]they are STILL running around with the equivalent of a router named "Linksys" with a password of "admin", that's all the MORE CONTEMPTIBLE.

It's not just a case of "someone tabled this bill before us", Grassley was one of the CO-SPONSORS of PIPA; he SUBMITTED THE BILL - *HE* should be expected to 'have done his homework' already before all this started.

[Merrymaker_Mortalis]

I'm looking forward to establishing myself as a self-employed artist during the recession and if SOPA gets enforced. Shall I commit suicide now?

In art it's impossible to create something 100% original. Subconsciously you're trying to imitate something else.

[empath]

Nah, build up a portfolio of work that no one is interested in, THEN off yourself. Down the road, someone's gonna 'discover' you and that unappreciated art will suddenly be hailed in all the best places.

That seems to be the formula; still a raw deal for YOU, I think - yer prolly better off hanging around.