Forum Post: The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) should be targeted by OWS.
Posted 12 years ago on Jan. 14, 2012, 6:04 a.m. EST by JagRevere
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The following links provide a basic introduction to what SOPA is about.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act
http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57329001-281/how-sopa-would-affect-you-faq/
Countless Youtube users’ account privileges have been suspended by Youtube administrators on alleged copyright enforcement voluntarily on behalf of Hollywood studios. Youtube content has become less interesting as a result notwithstanding claims of Fair Use entitlements by ordinary citizens. Now the US Congress is preparing legislation that makes voluntary enforcement of copyright claims by copyright owners compulsory.
Internet communities like Youtube are media sharing communities. That is the basic assumption that attract people to join. SOPA would be equivalent to levying a toll on the fair use of copyrighted material for non-governmental entities.
Wouldn’t there be a presumption that the right of free speech trumps copyright? That the people have a unrestrained right to say, repeat, derive speech, send copies of content without permission of the authors! Capitalism has its limits and demanding permission and payment for being quoted infringes on the idea of free speech of everyone. If the authors want total control over their material they should not publish it. Tax payers should not be expected to pay for the expense of protecting or extending an unnatural hegemony of capitalism whether or not the creative effort has recovered or profited from the cost of creation.
This thing is a done deal, there is massive congressional support for it and we can depend on BO to sign it. To imagine anything else is absolutely delusional, especially after NDAA, Homeland Security, etc., etc., etc.
Not only should SOPA be targeted by OWS, it should be targeted by everyone who believes the constitution of the U.S. should be upheld. SOPA is some total bullshit. I can already promise that the harder congress, the MIC, and corporations try to restrict the web, the harder people will fight to keep these routes open and free for everybody.
Amazing that OCCUPY has not spoken out against Censorship be it SOPA or PIPA or OPEN. I for one am very sick and tired of this movement.It started out good and now it is getting very little done.Sleeping in tents is not going to change Government. 1.OCCUPY does not have its Act together enough to field any Candidates.Doing this and them getting voted into Office would truly be Government Changing. 2.OCCUPY never spoke out against Censorship even though Censorship goes against our Constitution and way of US Life.This is an issue to bring people together from different Parties as it concerns all US Citizens yet OCCUPY is silent 3.I have pretty much given up on this movement.Grumble all you want to but my gut feeling now is you may not accomplish what you hoped you could !