The much-criticised Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act have both been officially postponed, following high-profile protests from a number of websites including Wikipedia and Google.
The head of the US House Judiciary Committee, Rep. Lamar Smith, says that they have taken the critic’s concerns on SOPA “seriously” and will put the legislative bill on hold “until there is wider agreement on a solution.”
In addition, US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid revealed that he is postponing PIPA’s procedural vote, formerly due for Tuesday 24 January.
Reid states, though: “We must take action to stop these illegal practices. We live in a country where people rightfully expect to be fairly compensated for a day’s work, whether that person is a miner in the high desert of Nevada, an independent band in New York City, or a union worker on the back lots of a California movie studio.”
The news will be seen as a great victory to those who have opposed the SOPA legislation from the start, including Wikipedia founder James Wales, who took his site down on Wednesday (18 January) as part of a mass “Internet blackout” protest.
The ideas present in both SOPA and PIPA may return, but both bills in their present form—and with their present names—are probably done for good.
A key figure in the fight against SOPA was Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA). Issa had planned to use his perch as chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to highlight the flaws of SOPA’s DNS blocking provisions.
“Supporters of the Internet deserve credit for pressing advocates of SOPA and PIPA to back away from an effort to ram through controversial legislation,” Issa said in a Friday statement. “Over the last two months, the intense popular effort to stop SOPA and PIPA has defeated an effort that once looked unstoppable.”
“Postponing the Senate vote on PIPA removes the imminent threat to the Internet, but it’s not over yet,” Issa continued. “Copyright infringement remains a serious problem and any solution must be targeted, effective, and consistent with how the Internet works.”
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Thank goodness PIPA and SOPA didn’t pass! It would have ceausd more problems, and we have enough to deal with. However, it has made me realize how dependent we are of the internet. We use it for just about everything! Even if it did pass, I’m sure there would be many people finding ways around the extra regulations. That would put more problems on top of problems. http://kflaqpysrqw.com [url=http://tlmprzovuok.com]tlmprzovuok[/url] [link=http://okqvupxvv.com]okqvupxvv[/link]
Chris,This is a great story and you had me up until the last paragraph; however, I felt the need to discuss the the comparison. I see your main point – and agree – but I don’t feel it is a good example for comparison.With a cup of hot chocolate – no matter what cup you use, the hot chocolate never changes and can not be influenced by the cup. However in the instance of life…If the cup is your job, money, and status, then the cup can certainly affect and influence the quality of that hot chocolate.The comparison might be better stated as an attitude – something you have control over. “Your attitude about life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have should not define, nor change your attitude about the quality of life you have.”I feel that it is important for people to make the most of the cards they were dealt, but I also feel that there is nothing wrong with striving to improve your cup for yourself and your family to make that hot chocolate seem sweeter.Just my thoughts. Love your posts!!!!! http://priceforerection.com/
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The concept behind prioritization, I feel, seems pretty straight forward. Identify countries where there is unrest in terms of politics and religion. These will be the countries where the internet giants like Google and Facebook may witness more lawsuits being filed against them for bringing "offensive" content down from their website! The irony is, as very well put by you, that the largest democracy is trying hard to make the internet more accessible to its huge user base while at the same time battling people who are trying to put an end to the freedom of speech! Another aspect is "how will these internet players control dynamic/real-time data that is being generated by millions of users"? Will it be possible to regulate or control such data. Following or complying with the local laws in the era where data is generated, shared and distributed so rapidly is a herculean task. Are they going to start punishing people to voice their opinions and thoughts now? I am not denying that compliance of local laws is important, but better strategies and a better vision is desired. http://www.theindustryofcool.com/online-colleges.html http://www.twinklehillfarm.com/cheap-car-insurance.html
While your arguments against Facebook (and its past/present deeds that violate user privacy in some way or the other) are solid, the fact remains that user privacy on the web is a depleting phenomenon because almost every firm out there wants to know everything about us (Google, Path etc etc) because, lets face it, they know they can profit the most from us when they know everything about us. Facebook of course is a league ahead and one might argue that it should be more responsible and ethical. But today it’s Facebook, tomorrow it’ll be someone else.. unfortunately user privacy on the web (or respect for it thereof) is almost dead. So one might as well continue to stick to the largest network in the world. On the brighter side, there are chances you’d meet your long lost childhood friend or cousin. I did, and I am thankful to Facebook (or its reach I should say) for that. There are parts of the world where things like Google+, LinkedIn, Instagram..even smartphones for that matter don’t mean anything. But they know Facebook and it even works on dial-up. I respect your decision of quitting Facebook. You did what you thought was right. But you might as well go ahead and close your Google, LinkedIn, Path et al accounts, because you never know what they’re cooking with your data. http://www.comparecashbackcards.net/ http://www.eben-uk.org/
These issues are the worst laws I have heard that waetnd to pass but thank goodness they didnt pass. Because the government is trying to get too much into our buisness and controling just like in Altas Shurgged. But there is always going to be government waetnd to take control.
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