You may or may not have heard of SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) or PIPA (Protect – IP Act), but if either of these becomes law, the Internet will cease to be a free exchange of creativity and ideas. [Insert personal opinion disclaimer here. ;-)] While I will agree that piracy is an issue and it robs creators of deserved remuneration, the vague language used in these bills could be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands.
I found this quote in an informational vide0 (below) particularly disturbing:
“…the government and corporations could block any site, foreign or domestic, just for one [copyright] infringing link. Sites like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook would have to censor their users or get shut down since they become liable for everything users post.”
PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.
If you feel so moved, please let your representatives know what you think of these bills.