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At the time of writing, US Congress is considering two bills, the PROTECT-IP Act (PDF) and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) (PDF). Some of those in the media industry argue that the acts, which will allow an unprecedented level of internet censorship under US law that will impact on the web worldwide, are necessary to protect jobs.
[...]
"If you see a link that you think is infringing and report it, the site owner must take it down when made aware of it, or become responsible. But what's now being proposed – among other things – is for sites to police IP proactively. If they 'don't do enough to prevent it', whatever that means, they become liable and can be shut down without ever going to court."
Bains believes the impact on start-ups will be immeasurable: "Any start-up with any kind of social aspect – i.e. most of them – will be held accountable for the behaviour of their audience. The legal bills alone will kill most start-ups before they get to prototype, never mind the cost of the not-so-accurate filtering software that various parties are trying to shill."

This is a serious issue. Though this only really applies in the U.S., this restrictive act can still affect countries outside the U.S., primarily those that use websites like Facebook and Twitter. This act essentially looks to place the distribution of information on the Internet into the greedy hands of big companies and corporations. Never before has such a call to censorship been so close to reality for America. Many companies are lobbying to get this act passed, and they're paying big money for it to go their way. It's very possible that no YouTube, imprisoned and fined net-users, and a 6 month old last-update status on Facebook is in our future. We can't let this happen.

Read more about it here (and watch the informative video http://vimeo.com/31100268)
http://americancensorship.org/



Full article:
http://www.netmagazine.com/news/sopa-bi ... try-111571

I just bumb this up with this video from TotalHalibut:
http://youtu.be/JhwuXNv8fJM

... Don't tell me things like the Ren, I don't want to like him...

Also, how did you find out?!

+1 to Freshbite!

I had imagined Ren to be more the type to verbally beat such information out of lesser beings, but now that you mention it, I couldn't imagine why he'd want to know.

So it did actually pass into law?

no



From Wikipedia: Computer scientist Vint Cerf, one of the founders of the Internet and Google vice president, wrote House committee chairman Lamar Smith, saying "Requiring search engines to delete a domain name begins a worldwide arms race of unprecedented 'censorship' of the Web," in a letter published on CNet.

So that means that SOPA has failed right?

I should bloody well think so.

Otherwise we may have to start an America-wide angry mob, and burn the White House down.
With the lemons!

No I do not know how politics work

Well, even if the President vetoes SOPA and others like it, it can still become law if Congress can get a massive majority re-vote. It just pisses me off that SO many people oppose it and our government is trying to go through with it. What the fuck happened to representation? I didn't tell any senators to support this shit, so why are they? It's bullshit how much the represent their own wallets and personal interests over the people who's lives they're fucking over. I hate this countries government, and bi-partisan politics can kiss my ass. All it does it screw the citizens over because the two (or more) parties are too busy bickering and bitching about each other to actually put forth effort to help anyone.
And then when they do help someone, the people get pissed because it costs them tax dollars to get what they want. We want all this shit from our leaders and don't want to give anything for it. I honestly think this country could do with a good, old-fashion rebellion. Unfortunately, the government covered it's ass and outlawed rebellion, going directly against the Declaration of Independence. To fuckin' smart for their own people's good. Although I find it ironic that a government outlawed rebellion: If people are so pissed at their leaders that they want to overthrow the current government, then I doubt they're going to give a shit about your laws. Still, I want an armed rebellion. Joining the Marines or not, I don't support the way our government is run. Maybe after I'm discharged I'll move the UK. Scotland maybe. Get a pet fox there, since IIRC they are legal and without a license too! Philadelphia is a shit state to try and get an exotic pet. Their laws say you can get a license for one, but the requirements are absolute bullshit and even if you qualify, they won't license you half the time anyways. Ah well, what can we do about it other than get totally derailed from our own rants?