It is important to recognize the significance of the 2 acts.
PIPA, if passed, “will give U.S. corporations and the government the right to seek affirmative legal action with any website that they see as enabling copyright infringement whether of U.S. origin or not.” (Jamal 2011)
SOPA, if passed, “will work in conjunction with PIPA. As described by such entities as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, SOPA is nothing more so than the U.S. government and private corporations black list.” (Jamal 2011)
It is the flexibility of the Internet in the sense that we can share thoughts, ideas and opinions freely that defines the beauty and function of this platform. If we give governments and corporations the power to control what information is put on the Internet, then the dynamic disappears. We might as well adopt the practice of the “The Great Firewall of China”. If these acts are passed, the freedom of expression will be greatly altered. For example, a blog’s content/imagery which may be meant to just educate the audience can be shut down if a corporation does not like how it is referenced, including visitor comments! (Jamal 2011) Apparently we will now have to be responsible for others thoughts.
It is also interesting to point out that social sites such as our beloved Facebook, are built upon references of products, companies and organizations, with these acts passed- you can say goodbye to the dynamic of social networking. And forget about publishing your best rendition of Kelly Clarkson on YouTube, without written consent, record execs can simply twist the law and claim copyright infringement.
In general, I can see how the response of the ‘’internet community’’, supports the preservation of the Internet’s flexibility. I can also really appreciate that instead of complaining and letting the issue slip, both users and companies such as Google have taken a definitive stand in opposition of this legislation. It is nice to finally see America take a stand.
Here are a few highlights from actions taken:
Sites including Wikipedia and Reddit launched site blackouts on January 18, while protesters hit the streets in New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) drew more than 7 million signatures for an anti-SOPA and PIPA petition that it linked on its highly trafficked homepage. (money.cnn.com)
As an immigrant from a former communist country, where everything was controlled- My opinion stands: Leave my freedom of expression alone!
Jamal. (2011) Retrieved from http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/how-sopa-pipa-can-affect-you/
Retrieved from Pepitone, J. ( January 2012) http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/20/technology/SOPA_PIPA_postponed/index.htm
PIPA, if passed, “will give U.S. corporations and the government the right to seek affirmative legal action with any website that they see as enabling copyright infringement whether of U.S. origin or not.” (Jamal 2011)
SOPA, if passed, “will work in conjunction with PIPA. As described by such entities as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, SOPA is nothing more so than the U.S. government and private corporations black list.” (Jamal 2011)
It is the flexibility of the Internet in the sense that we can share thoughts, ideas and opinions freely that defines the beauty and function of this platform. If we give governments and corporations the power to control what information is put on the Internet, then the dynamic disappears. We might as well adopt the practice of the “The Great Firewall of China”. If these acts are passed, the freedom of expression will be greatly altered. For example, a blog’s content/imagery which may be meant to just educate the audience can be shut down if a corporation does not like how it is referenced, including visitor comments! (Jamal 2011) Apparently we will now have to be responsible for others thoughts.
It is also interesting to point out that social sites such as our beloved Facebook, are built upon references of products, companies and organizations, with these acts passed- you can say goodbye to the dynamic of social networking. And forget about publishing your best rendition of Kelly Clarkson on YouTube, without written consent, record execs can simply twist the law and claim copyright infringement.
In general, I can see how the response of the ‘’internet community’’, supports the preservation of the Internet’s flexibility. I can also really appreciate that instead of complaining and letting the issue slip, both users and companies such as Google have taken a definitive stand in opposition of this legislation. It is nice to finally see America take a stand.
Here are a few highlights from actions taken:
Sites including Wikipedia and Reddit launched site blackouts on January 18, while protesters hit the streets in New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Google (GOOG, Fortune 500) drew more than 7 million signatures for an anti-SOPA and PIPA petition that it linked on its highly trafficked homepage. (money.cnn.com)
As an immigrant from a former communist country, where everything was controlled- My opinion stands: Leave my freedom of expression alone!
Jamal. (2011) Retrieved from http://www.1stwebdesigner.com/design/how-sopa-pipa-can-affect-you/
Retrieved from Pepitone, J. ( January 2012) http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/20/technology/SOPA_PIPA_postponed/index.htm
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