http://www.activistpost.com/2012/01/sopa-and-pipa-fully-alive-and-new-bill.html#more
Actually, SOPA is set to be reformulated in February. PIPA will be revisited with possible amendments in the coming weeks. Case in point, all is still open and possible -- nothing is dead, pulled, or cancelled. If that wasn't enough to keep us on our toes, a new, similar bill has surfaced.
Déjà Vu in the form of OPEN -- The New Anti-Piracy Bill
As an alternative to SOPA-PIPA, Representative Darrell Issa (CA-R), and 24 co-sponsors introduced the Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade (OPEN) H.R. 3782 on Wednesday, during the Internet blackout.
From PCWorld:
OPEN would give oversight to the International Trade Commission (ITC) instead of the Justice Department, focuses on foreign-based websites, includes an appeals process, and would apply only to websites that "willfully" promote copyright violation.
The bill pretends to only target foreign websites, while keeping Americans free to surf and post, but the bill's wording is wide open to pursue American sites. Just one example: when describing an infringing site, it starts with those "that are accessed through a non-domestic domain name," but continues in section (8)(A)(ii) for any site that "conducts business directed to residents of the United States."
It sounds like, "in general," copyright holders will be the ones filing complaints to the Commission, but the writing leaves it open for any complainant to file. The ITC would still have the ability to coerce payment processors and ad networks to cease funding and linking the accused in question. Who could determine "willful" infringement?
Also, none of these bills had been decided before the U.S. Government took down New Zealand owned Megaupload.com during the commotion. To which, Anonymous responded by shutting down the websites of the U.S. Department of Justice, Universal Music, Recording Industry Association of America, the U.S. Copyright Office, Broadcast Music Inc. and the Motion Picture Association of America.
"The [DOJ's] action 'demonstrates why we don’t need SOPA in the first place,' points out PCWorld’s Tony Bradley." The government was enforcing a previous anti-piracy law called PRO-IP signed by Bush in 2008.
OPEN is gaining support from groups like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Consumer Electronics Association and more.
While it seems admirable that the bill is transparent and open for public comment, most laws of this nature are broad and allow for bigger, no-common sense crackdowns later. Plus, there might only be a couple concessions and the pacifying effects of "being heard."
One commenter of the bill aptly noted:
'Reasonable belief' and 'credible evidence' are too vague and have the appearance of inviting highly subjective interpretation with the option for the commission and/or the provider to exercise sweeping powers with impunity.
Whenever any group is appeased after a battle, it cannot be emphasized enough -- the lawmakers' modus operandi will be: aim high, brace for the outcry, make a couple alterations and sneak the bill back in when no one's looking. Keep it going and going. Call it by a different name. Haggle. It appears there is compromise and reasoning now, but once the bill passes into law, reason goes out the window, and we are the only ones compromised.
Theft is a reality -- although not one that has seriously damaged the growing entertainment industry, or caused massive death and devastation. If Hollywood, pitching the biggest fit, were actually going down, why should we go down with it?
It is more unfortunate that Americans must be so tirelessly vigilant to protect their online activities from the same lawmakers who are tanking the country in so many other truly devastating ways.
The dismantling of Internet freedom will not stop here. Let's borrow an MO and not let up.
To SOPA -- Say NOPA!
To PIPA -- Pipe down!
To OPEN -- Shut it!
Labels: Activism, Economy, Internet control, politics
Replies
I've notice that's how they do it, start something then as that is keeping most people focus on they pass another bill that's not constitutional!
When we are occupied with something else, these bills will pass through easily. Just more protection for TPTB to hide their crimes and commit more.
That was senator Rockafeller the scum bag.
Jacks said:
Here's one from techdirt!
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120125/12034817541/state-union-a...
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Obama Signs Global Internet Treaty Worse Than SOPA
White House bypasses Senate to ink agreement that could allow Chinese companies to demand ISPs remove web content in US with no legal oversight.
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet
Months before the debate about Internet censorship raged as SOPA and PIPA dominated the concerns of web users, President Obama signed an international treaty that would allow companies in China or any other country in the world to demand ISPs remove web content in the US with no legal oversight whatsoever.
The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement was signed by Obama on October 1 2011, yet is currently the subject of a White House petition demanding Senators be forced to ratify the treaty. The White House has circumvented the necessity to have the treaty confirmed by lawmakers by presenting it an as “executive agreement,” although legal scholars have highlighted the dubious nature of this characterization.
The hacktivist group Anonymous attacked and took offline the Federal Trade Commission’s website yesterday in protest against the treaty, which was also the subject of demonstrations across major cities in Poland, a country set to sign the agreement today.
Under the provisions of ACTA, copyright holders will be granted sweeping direct powers to demand ISPs remove material from the Internet on a whim. Whereas ISPs normally are only forced to remove content after a court order, all legal oversight will be abolished, a precedent that will apply globally, rendering the treaty worse in its potential scope for abuse than SOPA or PIPA.
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/01/obama-signs-global-internet-tre...
These people do not understand the chaos this will cause if it passes, to free speech and commerence to the guy down the street. The internet will be dead while in private the persons that voted for this bill will in all likely-hood be on their laptops accessing the sites that are banned. A real double standard!!
Posted by: The Saoshyant @ 8:07 am
English-language Wikipedia had a 24-hour blackout on January 18th, protesting against proposed legislation in the USA that, if passed, would damage a free and open internet. Many chose to support Wikipedia in its protest, recognizing the impact of such legislation (SOPA - Stop Online Piracy Act in the US House of Representatives and PIPA - Protect IP Act in the US Senate). This was a testament to the power of the people and sent a needed, strong signal to decision makers.
Please read my past post (if you missed it the first time) to understand what is coming for the internet. This is something that I have long foretold and it is important to be in the know so that you are in a state of preparedness. Remember that from the 1200s through the 1600s the Roman Catholic Church and the powers they used burned many books. Many historical documents were burned so that history could be rewritten. Imagine when they take off the internet, what will you have left of history in hardcopy (book) form? Research what is happening to Kodak. The known and yet-to-be known controllers of humanity are soon going to do the Looeamong thing. They already have it in the make.
Think of the impact if you have no internet access at all beyond the initial policed, limited access that will curtail your freedom and allow you to be monitored in ways in which you would not approve. Many of you have not a clue of what they have already invented and what they will be using.