SOPA: THE INTERNET BLACKLIST BILL

The Global Intellectual Property Center reported the sale of counterfeit goods over the internet reached $135 billion last year. In response to these internet crimes, The Protect IP Act and the legislation have been developed. While this legislation may sound like it will something mildly positive but in reality, both regulations have serious potential to negatively change the internet as we know it.

Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the Senate and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) bill in the House of Representatives • Designed to block access to sites containing unauthorized material. • Content owners and U.S. government would be given power to request court orders to shut down suspected sites associated with piracy • Government and cop rotations could block any site, foreign or domestic, for just one infringing link.

Consequences • Block access to infringing domains by suing to have links removed. • Advertisers, payment processors, and internet service providers would be forbidden from doing business with infringers based overseas. • Requires search engines to remove foreign infringing sites from their results. • Email providers may be forced to censor certain links you send or receive. • Anyone found guilty of streaming copyrighted content without permission 10 or more times within six months could face up to 5 years in jail. • These acts could threaten the security and stability of the global DNS.

Watch an explanation of Supporters include Read the Critics include , both sides of the SOPA television networks, music House of , , argument, in the video publishers, movie industry Representatives yahoo, eBay, LinkedIn, created by the Guardian in bodies, book publishers Bill 3261. AOL, . . . America interactive team. and manufacturers.

The criticizes the bill in a statement saying “Any effort to combat online piracy must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation by our dynamic businesses large and small” and “We must avoid creating new cyber security risks or disruption the underlying architecture of the Internet”.

List of major participants of January 18th website blacked out in protest of SOPA:

• • Hacktivist group, • • • Wordpress for Business Websites • The Economic Populist • Political Buddies • Blue Interactive Agency • Good Evening • See more here • Twitpic – censored versions SOPA: THE INTERNET BLACKLIST BILL

How you can participate:

• Call your Congressman or write them a letter letting them know you oppose PIPA and SOPA. • Blackout your website and include this .PDF file that explains the act and your support. • Join the Facebook “Stop by Protesting SOPA event” • Wordpress users can add SOPA Blackout plugin, which adds a temporary 503 status and customizable page to your site automatically • Blogspot users can utilize a blackout template to show their support.