OT(?): SOPA and PIPA internet strike in effect today

Submitted by samber2009 on

Wikipedia has already shut down for the next 24 hours in protest of the internet censorship bills that will be voted on next week. Tons of other sites are shutting down for a large portion of the day, and plenty more, Google included, are doing something in protest.

Plenty more information here.

If passed, these bills will likely have a trickle down effect (beyond the intention to stop internet piracy) to wonderful blogs like these who would be responsible for users posting infringing copyrighted content (game highlights, audio commentary, logo usage).  If others have more/knowledgable information to add, please do. I just don't see what good can come from censoring the internet.

EDIT: Not my intention to get political (I know it's a no no). Just tyring to be informative if you see crazy things on the internet today and don't know why. Mods feel free to delete if necessary. 

nyc_wolverines

January 18th, 2012 at 4:38 AM ^

It's always amazing that people think "this time is different" "our elected leaders would never do X, Y or Z"...  One constant throughout history: Rulers turn on their people; empires grow slovenly; great powers inevitably decay from within. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

Plus, when Google and Apple team up, you have to wonder if there's something to being against SOPA.

ixcuincle

January 18th, 2012 at 7:09 AM ^

RIP Michigan tribute montages to football/basketball

They'd be taken off youtube, and you'd be using content of some broadcaster "without permission". What a ridiculous law that would kill any kind of third-party highlight videos or analysis video. 

Also, we would be unable to relive Michigan historical moments in sports if this passed. Just crippling. Make sure it does not pass. We must be able to relive montages of the olden times. 

megalomanick

January 18th, 2012 at 8:53 AM ^

MPAA's press release, in full:

"Only days after the White House and chief sponsors of the legislation responded to the major concern expressed by opponents and then called for all parties to work cooperatively together, some technology business interests are resorting to stunts that punish their users or turn them into their corporate pawns, rather than coming to the table to find solutions to a problem that all now seem to agree is very real and damaging.It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information and use their services. It is also an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today.

It's a dangerous and troubling development when the platforms that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests.

A so-called "blackout" is yet another gimmick, albeit a dangerous one, designed to punish elected and administration officials who are working diligently to protect American jobs from foreign criminals. It is our hope that the White House and the Congress will call on those who intend to stage this "blackout" to stop the hyperbole and PR stunts and engage in meaningful efforts to combat piracy."

 

Wow, fuck them right in the ear. Yes, those evil money-grubbing corporations Wikipedia and Reddit have made me their pawns. I've never once pirated movies, that will change today. I'll even seed...

thisisme08

January 18th, 2012 at 11:36 AM ^

and this is why I pirate movies.  If its good enough I will buy it but frankly 90% of what Hollywood puts out is junk but the main reason I pirate is because of statements like the above where they are so out of touch with what the public wants its not even funny. 

Look at the rise of iTunes and Spotify/Pandora and the others, people will pay a monthly fee to access digital content but we dont want to pay $20 a month to stream movies that can only be watched once, at 3AM, and only after you've bought 4 boxes of Orville Redenbacher (movie popcorn is what like 10 dollars a tub??) and if you want to watch on your phone/tablet then your SOL. 

Swing your sword piratebay.org, swing that fucker loud and proud. 

joeyb

January 18th, 2012 at 12:27 PM ^

As someone who has downloaded movies in the past, most of what you say is utter bullshit. If the stuff you are downloading is junk, then why are you downloading it? Saying that you download it as a form of protest is bullshit because if you really wanted to protest, you would let them know that you won't consume their content until it's provided via a medium that suits you, not consume their media for free without letting them know why. Basically, everything that you just said is justification to make you feel better about doing something that you know is illegal and unethical.

If you want to change the system, then fine, do what you need to do to change the system, but at least admit that what you are doing is primarily for selfish reasons.

BiSB

January 18th, 2012 at 10:04 AM ^

1) The NO POLITICS rule is still in place

2) /turns blind eye to thread and its content

EDIT: Unrelated political stuff will still be deleted.

LB

January 18th, 2012 at 10:18 AM ^

even aware of the bills and react with a blank look. I've just been telling them they won't be able to watch justin on You Tube if the bills pass.

mikoyan

January 18th, 2012 at 12:40 PM ^

This whole thing smacks of the "We need to do something now" mentality that permeates in Washington.  Rather than looking at why existing efforts to stem piracy fail, they prefer the sledgehammer approach that will probably not stymy piracy but probably will stymy fair use.

goblue20111

January 18th, 2012 at 12:54 PM ^

Interesting article on paying for digital content. 

http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/21/technology/blockbuster_streaming/index…

Seems like corporations will never catch up with the times because they devise these schemes to make more money when in reality people would gladly pay if they made it easier.  I cancelled Netflix.  What's the point? I never used the DVDs and the streaming selection was subpar for movies and no way am I going to juggle/pay for 2-3 streaming services and cable.  Now, I just buy DVDs and boxsets of my favorite shows on the cheap.  Realistically, upgrade Netflix's streaming selection and elminiate their DVDs and I'd gladly pay $15-$20.  iTunes shows that people will pay for their media when it's easy, accessible, and cheap.  Studios like it this way though and we consumers lose in the end. 

gmoney41

January 18th, 2012 at 1:35 PM ^

I use Netflix and love it for the TV show selections.  They have a ton of content that is easy to access.  At $8 a month it is very affordable.  I can't deny that I have pirated shows or movies in the past, and still get music by downloading and I don't feel bad about it at all.  My cable box was on the fritz last month and couldn't watch a few shows, and when my cable was back on, the on-demand service did not carry the shows I wanted to watch, so in order to get caught up on the show, I had to download the few episodes I missed.  I did not feel ethically or morally wrong for doing it either. 

Back in the 90's I wasted so much money on music that I could have put a downpayment on a house.  Now, I download an album, and if it is exceptional, I will make a purchase, if it is average, it goes in the trash bin.  Sure, it may be wrong to do, but I have saved tons of money by this process.