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Stop Online Piracy Act & "Protect IP" laws

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Passing this bill will make things worse for entities trying to fight online piracy, because, more people who want to access blocked sites will learn about and use VPN's. This will create business for the foreign ISP's running the VPN's, and it will render ALL traffic between computers and foreign ISP's via VPN totally encrypted and untraceable, save for raiding the foreign ISP (and they might only have access to logs that the ISP maintains; most VPN services don't keep logs).

As it stands now, they can at least send cease-and-desist warnings to US based IP addresses. They won't even be able to do that if you have a nationwide block. That means everyone in the country can still access the blocked site by using a VPN, and they won't be able to track it, save for a bunch of IP addresses on a public tracker (or whatever) pointing to various foreign ISP addresses that they won't be able to do anything about. I guess they can block the entire foreign ISP, but that would open up a whole new can or worms and will cause a whole host of other problems.

What it basically boils down to is, blocking specific sites via ISP's by forcing them to block them by making it a law is NOT going to stop piracy, and will make it HARDER for companies to fight it than it already is. They are cutting off their nose to spite their face.
 
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So this bill was supposed to of passed or failed by 12/21/2011. Did it? I really can't find anything on it except it was postponed till next year only to hear they were still having sessions on it so the public doesn't get involved.
 
Well atleast the private users "won" round 1, bring on round 2 :)
 
A hot issue awaits Congress when it returns in January: online piracy.

Both chambers of Congress are set to address bills that deal with online copyright infringement.

Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images

Both chambers of Congress are set to address bills that deal with online copyright infringement.

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Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images

Both chambers of Congress are set to address bills that deal with online copyright infringement.

Both houses have bills to combat copyright infringement of movies, music and other intellectual property on rogue, non-U.S.-based websites.

Powerful interests are facing off over the proposals: Content creators, led by Hollywood and the music industry, are pushing for the most stringent measures. Opposing them are tech and electronics giants.

Sixteen tech companies, including Google, PayPal and Twitter, took out newspaper ads this month charging that the bills would "give the U.S. government the power to censor the Web using techniques similar to those used by China."

"This issue is a test of whether or not Congress … realizes it is now the technology sector that is driving the U.S. economy," says Michael Petricone of the Consumer Electronics Association.

A House proposal would have the Justice Department seek court orders to require Internet service providers and search engines, such as Google, to block access to infringing sites. Advertisers and payment services, such as PayPal, would have to cut off the sites, too.

Opponents say that's too broad and could cost jobs and stifle innovation. The measures needed to comply, they say, also could restrict free speech.

Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, has asked House Judiciary Chairman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, to hold hearings in January to quiz tech and security experts about possible repercussions of the proposal, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). Smith still expects the bill to pass, saying criticism of it "is completely hypothetical."

Showing how the battle has intensified, domain name company GoDaddy.com last week dropped support for SOPA after some websites began moving to another registrar.

In the Senate, Ron Wyden, D-Ore., plans to try to filibuster the Protect IP Act. "Our nation's leading technology employers warn that this bill presents a clear and present danger to innovation and job growth."

He and co-sponsors have proposed an alternative, the Online Protection and Enforcement Act, which would put piracy enforcement with the International Trade Commission. It could order sites to stop and cut off payments and ad revenue. The electronics association backs that alternative.

Source: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-12-27/SOPA-congress-piracy/52246628/1
 
Don't be too sure about that....

Rodster said:
Glad I dont live in the US.
Click to expand...

If the powers that be are successful here in the US, what makes you think that the ones in power in your country won't try to do the exact same thing??
 
Man this is really a disgusting law that I just found out about as a sideline of Anonymous hacking the Stratfor site and releasing a shitload of credit card account names numbers and passwords. Part of their motivation was SOPA.

This was the first place I came to see what impact it would have.

I signed the petition, but don't know how much difference that will make. I think there needs to be a better organized campaign of contacting your own congressman.

Charlie, please don't bring up your crap against Republicans, because similar things happen under Democrats, and dividing us against each other is just stupid. I'm a Republican, and will fight this tooth and nail.
 
Nintendo and EA just pull away from supporting this bill now. The no's are getting stronger!
 
Not just them mate, the irony is. Sony Electronics apparantly dropped support too.
Nintendo, Electronic Arts and Sony Electronics no longer appear on the list of SOPA supporters. Meanwhile, Anonymous is about to strike out at Sony again for its support for the bill.

It's already been mentioned that the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is bad news. Along with the PROTECT IP act, the duo gives content owners the right to take down websites they believe are infringing on their copyright. That includes mere links to content that possibly infringes on a copyright, and if that link isn't removed as requested, then the copyright owner can have the website's advertising and transaction revenue severed. Even more, the domain name itself - whether it's local or overseas -- could even be thrown on a blacklist, leaving the site inaccessible.

Back in November, Joystiq reported that Nintendo, Electronic Arts and Sony Electronics backed the Internet censorship bill that's currently circulating in the U.S. Congress. Now they have simply vanished from the list of SOPA supporters residing on the official Committee On The Judiciary website (pdf). In fact, the list of supporters has seemingly diminished since the original plea letter to the US Congress was sent on September 22. However still backing the bill are the likes of BMI, Comcast/NBC Universal, Time Warner, EMI Music Publishing, L'Oreal, Marvel Entertainment, the MPAA, and even Sony Music.

Meanwhile, Anonymous has set its sights on Sony again thanks to the latter company's support for the controversial bill. In its latest video, the hactivist group states that supporting SOPA is like trying to throw an entire company from off a bridge. "Your support to the act is a signed death warrant to SONY Company and Associates," the group states. "Therefore, yet again, we have decided to destroy your network. We will dismantle your phantom from the internet. Prepare to be extinguished. Justice will be swift, and it will be for the people, whether some like it or not. Sony, you have been warned."

For their support of SOPA, Anonymous is also going after Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Kim Kardashian, and Taylor Swift. "To those doubting our powers," the group adds. "We've infiltrated the servers of Bank of America, The United States Department of Defense, The United Nations, and Lockheed Martin. In one day."

Man, there goes the PlayStation Network again.

Anonymous: Message to SONY on SOPA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjOPXpd9PSU&feature=player_embedded
Click to expand...
 
Yes I watch all the Anonymous videos and read their news. People are calling them hackers or such but I don't always see it that way. Now with the recent credit card ordeal they suppose to of done, if true it was a bad thing regardless of their intentions.
 
It's looking more and more likely that these laws are not going to pass, but it's likely that in some way they'll be able to block website like this one, destroying our ability to make backups, etc. My question, as someone who doesn't know a lot about networking, is will this really be possible, and is there a way to get around it in the long run? Could we really be looking at a future where overseas websites like this can be simply blocked out from us in the US?
 
It only took me a few minutes using the zip code link at Wiki's blackout site to ask my US Congressman and both Senators to please not pass either of these bills.
 
This comment has been found in violation of H.R. 3261, S.O.P.A and has been removed. ███ ████████ ██████ ██████████ ██ ████ ██ ████ ██████████ █.
 
Looks like we have a newer threat soon? I replaced my full name with Sir. OPEN doesn't sound to good of an ideal either to me. Do we need a new thread just for OPEN now?

Dear Sir,
Thank you for contacting me about the internet streaming of copyrighted material. I appreciate hearing from you on this issue.

On May 12, 2011, Senator Leahy (D-VT) introduced S. 968, the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property (PROTECT IP) Act. While I am supportive of the goals of the bill, I am deeply concerned that the definitions and the means by which the legislation seeks to accomplish these goals will have unintended consequences and hurt innovation, job creation, and threaten online speech and security. On November 17, 2011, I signed a letter along with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) objecting to the bill as it is currently written.

On December 17, 2011, Senator Wyden introduced the "Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade" (OPEN) Act (S. 2029), of which I am an original co-sponsor. The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee, where it is currently awaiting further review. The OPEN Act is a more effective approach to stopping foreign web sites that are found to be primarily and willfully used to infringe intellectual property rights. The OPEN Act builds on the existing legal framework used by the International Trade Commission for addressing unfair acts in the importation of articles into the United States, or in their sale for importation, or sale within the United States after importation.

Our trade laws have yet to catch up to deal with the global digital economy. The OPEN Act recognizes that the Internet has created new opportunities for foreign products to reach the U.S. market and that there is little difference between downloading a pirated movie from a foreign website and importing a counterfeit movie DVD from a foreign company. For those foreign web sites that are determined after an investigation to be primarily and willfully infringing, the International Trade Commission will issue a "Cease and Desist" order. The "Cease and Desist" order may also be served on financial intermediaries that provide services to that foreign web site, compelling financial payment processors and online advertising providers to cease doing business with the foreign site in question. This would cut off financial incentives for this illegal activity and deter these unfair imports from reaching the U.S. market.

The OPEN Act addresses the same challenges as the PROTECT IP Act, while protecting freedom of speech, innovation, and security on the Internet. The challenge of rogue web sites is one that many nation's face. The United State has always been seen as a leader on Internet issues. Laws we establish in the United States regarding the Internet are likely to be used as models around the world. And because the Internet is global in nature, it is important that we carefully consider how the laws and policies we adopt in this area may be received and translated by other countries.

Thank you again for contacting me to share your thoughts on this matter. You may also be interested in signing up for periodic updates for Washington State residents. If you are interested in subscribing to this update, please visit my website at http://cantwell.senate.gov. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance.

Sincerely,
Maria Cantwell
United States Senator
Click to expand...
 
Trying to get a congressman/senator to represent you is like trying to nail Jello to a wall. Now it's "OPEN" which we know little about. The thing that's even worse is there is no "N" in the acronym represented in the title: "Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade" which should be OPEDT, but that's not pronounceable and conveying what the word "OPEN" does, so they don't even have the balls to follow proper acronym semantics.

Reminds me of how Global Warming was altered into Climate Change, or Liberal is now changed into Progressive. All politicians do the same change-a-roo trying to satisfy the lobbyists without the voters knowing how they screwed them again.
 
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Props to The Pirate Bay for coming out and saying this!

_"Over a century ago Thomas Edison got the patent for a device which would “do for the eye what the phonograph does for the ear”. He called it the Kinetoscope. He was not only amongst the first to record video, he was also the first person to own the copyright to a motion picture.

Because of Edison’s patents it was close to financially impossible to create motion pictures in the North American East Coast. The movie studios therefore relocated to California, and founded what we today call Hollywood. The reason was mostly because there were no patents. There was also no copyright to speak of, so the studios could copy old stories and make movies out of them – like Fantasia, one of Disney’s biggest hits ever.

So, the whole basis of this industry, that today is screaming about losing control over immaterial rights, is that they circumvented immaterial rights. They copied (or put in their terminology: “stole”) other people’s creative works, without paying for them. They did it in order to make a huge profit. Today, they’re all successful and most of the studios are on the Fortune 500 list of the richest companies in the world. Congratulations – it’s all based on being able to re-use other people’s creative works. And today they hold the rights to what other people create. If you want to get something released, you have to abide by their rules. The ones they created after circumventing other people’s rules."_
 
You guys are absolutely awesome for having a thread about this! I signed up on every site I could! :bowdown::clap:
 
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