SOPA: The Slippery Slope to Internet Censorship
Congress has introduced a bill that if it does pass, it would cause a lot more damage than it would help. That would the Stop Internet Piracy Act or SOPA, which intends to crack down on Internet piracy. This bill is being backed by Hollywood, who claims that they have lost millions of dollars per year due to online piracy. It would allow certain websites that offer pirated material to be blocked.
While in its most base intention, the attack seems rather noble, when looking beneath the surface, it does seem less so. The Stop Internet Piracy Bill might start with the pirates and another area that is being targeted is illegal prescription websites that people can order drugs in dubious ways. Internet pharmacies have tended to be a problem and likely acquiring drugs in ways that are not from a prescription from your doctor can do more harm than good. However, it leads to a slippery slope that could lead to a restricted Internet.
Censorship At Its Most Sickening
Intellectual property tends to be a rather sketchy manner. People have debated how far people should go to protect their copyrights and their intellectual property. The Stop Internet Piracy Bill has been called censorship by people and it’s obvious that their points should be seen. The greatest fear is that first the pirates will be attacked, but then it will attack people in general, perhaps by having an opinion that is contrary to what many believe. People could find their personal websites and blogs shut down, because they might have had a link to an advertisement that could be a website that contain pirated material.
Or so it may seem. With the right money behind the situation, people could get something shut down that paints them in a bad light. Under a claim that would be kind of difficult to prove or disprove. Money talks after all in this world.
Most websites on the Internet, if you really follow every little bit of intellectual property law, are likely to be to shut down. Even one picture could get a website shut down if followed to the letter. Even if it’s someone’s avatar on a forum related to the website.
Is Congress in the Pocket of Hollywood
Hollywood is losing money but it’s not all because of piracy. They are unwilling to get with the times and embrace technology. Digital media is the wave of the future but they refuse to embrace it completely, because they are too set in their ways. The reason why most engage in Internet piracy is because it’s easy. If you put across an easy alternative that might put some money in your pocket, then that’s good.
Nope though, because Hollywood refuses to change. Instead they whine and complain about Internet piracy, without bothering to offer an alternative. And the more you complain about something, the more people are less inclined to give you money. Of course, part of the reason why the movie industry is not doing well, couldn’t have anything to do with the lack of original ideas and compelling movies coming out in recent years, could it? Nope, of course, not, it’s those darn pirates.
Politicians Fear the Internet
The Internet is a place where people can inform us of the failings of any and it’s the one avenue that politicians cannot shut up. This act will allow them to erase some of the opposite, under the guise of punishing people for infringing on intellectual property. They’re just using Hollywood and the movie industry about as much as Hollywood is using them. There are people who would love to shut up any revolution on the Internet. They fear what happened in other countries happening here widespread. Occupy Wall Street could be small potatoes to what could happen if the level of incompetence and greed continues. They want to stifle any revolution they can and they are running scared. So there are select few who could be using an act to bring down piracy is a curtain for something far more sinister, to reign in the bad little Americans who won’t bow down to the almighty government.
Powerful Allies Against SOPA
The SOPA has some powerful enemies however. Google, Twitter, Yahoo, and many other websites have realized that this is a bad idea. Having a giant like Google on our side is good, given the fact that Google rules the Internet in a way. Also, President Obama appears not to be a huge fan of this bill and has claimed that he will veto it if it reaches his desk. Whether or it will get that far, we shall see.
The noblest intentions are often twisted in greed. Those unwilling change will attempt to stifle any winds of change. Hollywood and Politicians are the ultimate match made in the depths of Hell. If this bill becomes law, the destruction of the Internet for Americans and by some extension the rest of the world, will be at hand. The amount of license this act could give those in charge to censor the Internet is unconstitutional.
If this law comes true, than America has become no better than the countries we claim “deprive the freedom of its citizens.”
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