There are many criticisms of SOPA and PIPA (e.g. the ones at EFF, Gizmodo, and reddit), but let me focus on one: under the proposed law, linking to a website with infringing content is illegal.
Censorship aside, that presents a huge day-to-day operational problem for many law-abiding websites. For a blog like Neatorama, which has nearly 40,000 posts and over 311,000 comments, this means that we'd have to police every single comment to ensure that nobody links to a rogue site (and continuously checking that legitimate links in past comments haven't gone rogue), otherwise we'd be breaking the law. A gargantuan task, indeed.
I urge you to contact your members of Congress and ask them to vote against SOPA and PIPA: Link
Update #1 1/18/12: Sign the Petition or Call Your Representative and tell them to vote against SOPA and PIPA - Thanks for the suggestion, ray hahn! Update #2: Header on all Neatorama posts now links to the petition and call pages.
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/pipa-support-collapses-with-13-new-opponents-in-senate.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss
It'd be great if Neatorama posted a follow-up article showing their readers that they made a difference. :)
...on the internet?
What country are we living in? IRAN???
Surprise folks! Iran has such a law!
...something called juriprudent! (...basically watch out on what you say or think...and always put yourself in the "clerics" shoes considering what they might find "inappropriate or offensive...yeah illegal!)
Soon we will have the same legislative structure as Iran! (...a bureau of "voice and communications" where every letter of the alphabet is scrutinized and rejected for "perceived" meaning and such!!! ...then we can move to the next step...closed door trials where the accused will not know what they are being charged with...not to mention secret jails/prisons and then hit squads!!!)
ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
If this so-called law passes here in the US we will be moving backwards a few centuries!!! (We the people must consider a new revolution!!!)
If you pass this "law" you must also pass a law where you must wear "head gear" while passing future laws! (just like the ayatollahs!!!)
Do not "sell out" the forefathers and their wisdom/legacy!!!
The people have spoken Mr/Mrs lawmakers/representatives...consider your actions and while passing such laws...because your will be doing it without representing me!!!
I'm so glad you posted this. I know Neatorama tends to be apolitical, but this is a huge issue that needs as much attention as possible.
Frau,
Try living in California, where both state senators helped write the dreadful legislation no doubt because Hollywood has them in their pocket.
It makes me sick.
To act upon SOPA is to put the United States in worse light on world view. If SOPA is brought on I will personally never travel to the states again. Nothing personal against the country there are plenty of good things and good people but I will not be able to go there wondering, "What's next on the oppression list?" It's already hard enough to get into the country with so much TSA bullshit and this just makes me feel like it's one more reason not to bother.
Piracy can be good, it can also be bad, but I can think of many dvd's in my collection that I went out and purchased because I saw the movie online and liked it enough to go buy it. Same goes for music, I've listened to an artist on youtube, loved them so much I went out and purchased their albums. So it's time to get your heads out of your asses and get with the times because without the internet I would not have ever heard of many of the great movies and music I enjoy and would have never purchased them to begin with.