Here we go again, SOPA IS BACK!

[D&P3]

That's why I mentioned the potential of a secret bill being passed to stop that;
And asked if you thought they'd willingly step out of office if they really didn't have to.

She brings up a good point though. I'm sure the music industry is doing just fine.
The other industries on the other hand, I am not so sure about.

It doesn't necessarily need to have a policy of censorship to actually do that.
If this bill is supposed to be similar to SOPA/PIPA (which I am doubting at this point), it will probably have a blacklist for sites to block.
I think chances are pretty good that some sites will 'accidentally' get shut down under the assumption of supporting piracy, some sites that were perhaps a little anti-government.

[Lethrface]

Speaking of websites that got shut down...

From what I understand, the owners of Megaupload were drawing attention to themselves by sharing links from their own website for downloads of shows and other things that were being illegally hosted on megaupload.  While the website itself had a terms of use that prohibited the uploading of files that were pirated, the owners themselves seemed to knowingly allow some of these uploads to remain which is what ended up being their ultimate downfall. 

I'm sure many industries are doing just fine or else independant record labels and whatnot would not be popping up everywhere...in fact, it seems every rapper is making their own independant record label (As an example) and they all seem to be doing very well.  The problem lies in the fact that every body wants a bigger piece of the pie so they want to ban piracy outright and, you know, I guess I can't blame them for wanting more.  I'm sure if I was in the position they are in, I would too...but I'm not.  Again, I neither support nor am against piracy (if asked, I would willingly admit to some of my past "extended trial" downloads at the most that I actually bought in the end, but nothing more due to the internet being a great place to incriminate yourself for all to see), but it is still against the law and it is inevitable that a bill aimed at piracy will come into play at some point and if we don't put our foot down and say what is acceptable and what is unacceptable contents to be placed within said law and demand that that be it or else we WILL take action, we are going to constantly be given shitty bills that will continue to try to strip away freedom, either intentionally or unintentionally, and I'm just going to give them the benefit of the doubt that A: half of them don't know how to properly use a fax machine much less the internet and B: they don't know much at all about things that go on on the internet and get fed bullshit by third parties and so both of those issues together lead to them making poor decisions about how to go about correcting any internet piracy issue.

[tSwitch]

Megaupload were scumbags that were profiting off of their filesharing, knowingly hosting backups for and encouraging the storage and distribution of copyrighted content.

They knew what they were doing, and they were raking in ad money -and- subscription money.  They claimed to be a file-locker, but deleted unpopular files after a while, and focused on pumping ads and download faster into their business scheme.

They were criminal.

Also, I have to agree with Modern on this one, it doesn't even talk about filesharing at all, it's all cybersecurity, and deals with file-theft only in the sense that a system could be protected against hack and forced-download of their files.

[Wiimeiser]

Right now I'm remembering a British person being extradited to the US for a crime that is not illegal in his own country, but somehow being extradited anyway.

Not to mention someone from New Zealand being denied access to a lawyer.

[Holkeye]

Calling this SOPA is a mistake. It isn't the same thing.

[Revtattertot]

Nope. It's much worse.

[D&P3]

Explain your theory Revtattertot.

[Holkeye]

Because sops was about shutting down websites that host pirated material. This is about looking into individuals' private information. They're both bad, but they're not the same.

[Lethrface]

Nope. It's much worse.

Explain your theory.

I've gotta agree that you need to explain your theory here.  I've heard people say that both bills are just as bad as the other but never "It's much worse."   

Because sops was about shutting down websites that host pirated material. This is about looking into individuals' private information. They're both bad, but they're not the same.

But I have a question for you.  I'm not sure if you are explaining why Revtattertot is right or if you are just throwing out there why they are not the same but if you are agreeing with Revtattertot, tell me...is it much worse to have your information available to the government or them censoring the internet by blocking websites or shutting them down, limiting the interenet's usefulness as an educational tool, a business platform and a way to speak out freely?

[Holkeye]

Neither. I'm explaining why they aren't the same.

[Revtattertot]

Steve, you kinda hit the points already. If I remember correctly [don't quote me exactly here, I'm not 100% on some of this], SOPA required evidence of piracy or infringement in order to shut a site down. With CISPA, all they had to do was claim it, and its down.

If I'm right or wrong, because I kinda need to have a bit more clarity since it has been a while since I read the SOPA bill, tell me.

[Lethrface]

I'm no expert so I'm not gonna speak very much on it, but if the government wanted evidence, they could just fabricate it and people would believe it.  I don't think evidence was ever a strong concern for them.

[jomarcenter]

updates:
a new petition was launched and this is the petition against facebook and microsoft.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_cispa_corporate_global/?cl=1739067674&v=13731

[AbsoluteIce]

updates:
a new petition was launched and this is the petition against facebook and microsoft.
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_cispa_corporate_global/?cl=1739067674&v=13731

Seriously, a online petition isn't going to really do anything.
If you really want to stop the bill, go protest outside of the white house. 

[Lethrface]

Its a petition to microsoft and facebook to drop support of the bill.  I don't think going outside of the whitehouse would do a damn thing to get them to drop support lol.

The simple thing is to threaten to stop using their products as a collective.

[Lethrface]

Got this in an email today.  I didn't copy links or anything because anyone can find the Demand Progress website from using Google if they want to sign any petitions or whatever.  I thought this was pretty interesting.  CISPA may get vetoed if it makes its way through congress by Obama.  Now, I wont hold my breath with some of the empty promises he has made in the past but it sounds hopeful.

Steven,

Friends,

This is HUGE: President Obama just threatened to veto CISPA if it makes its way through Congress.

Please click here to urge Obama to stand strong, and to let your lawmakers know that you support Obama's veto threat.

CISPA is up for a vote this week. It would obliterate any semblance of online privacy in the United States, giving the government -- including the military -- broad new powers to spy on Internet users.

The White House's letter expresses precisely the concerns that we've been highlighting over recent weeks -- and is a result of the public pressure against CISPA:

The White House says that any cybersecurity legislation must preserve "Americans' privacy, data confidentiality, and civil liberties and [recognize] the civilian nature of cyberspace."
It says that, "The bill also lacks sufficient limitations on the sharing of personally identifiable information between private entities and does not contain adequate oversight or accountability measures necessary to ensure that the data is used only for appropriate purposes."
And the letter goes on to assert that:

The American people expect their Government to enhance security without undermining their privacy and civil liberties.

Without clear legal protections and independent oversight, information sharing legislation will undermine the public's trust in the Government as well as in the Internet by undermining fundamental privacy, confidentiality, civil liberties, and consumer protections.

This is an amazing development.  Let's make the most of it:

Just click here to urge Obama to stand strong and to tell your lawmakers to oppose CISPA.

Thanks.

-Demand Progress

PS- We only have a few days left to kill CISPA.  Please tell your friends to get involved by forwarding this email or using these links:

[Revtattertot]

I think Steven said what I was gonna say.

[jomarcenter]

Got this in an email today.  I didn't copy links or anything because anyone can find the Demand Progress website from using Google if they want to sign any petitions or whatever.  I thought this was pretty interesting.  CISPA may get vetoed if it makes its way through congress by Obama.  Now, I wont hold my breath with some of the empty promises he has made in the past but it sounds hopeful.

Steven,

Friends,

This is HUGE: President Obama just threatened to veto CISPA if it makes its way through Congress.

Please click here to urge Obama to stand strong, and to let your lawmakers know that you support Obama's veto threat.

CISPA is up for a vote this week. It would obliterate any semblance of online privacy in the United States, giving the government -- including the military -- broad new powers to spy on Internet users.

The White House's letter expresses precisely the concerns that we've been highlighting over recent weeks -- and is a result of the public pressure against CISPA:

The White House says that any cybersecurity legislation must preserve "Americans' privacy, data confidentiality, and civil liberties and [recognize] the civilian nature of cyberspace."
It says that, "The bill also lacks sufficient limitations on the sharing of personally identifiable information between private entities and does not contain adequate oversight or accountability measures necessary to ensure that the data is used only for appropriate purposes."
And the letter goes on to assert that:

The American people expect their Government to enhance security without undermining their privacy and civil liberties.

Without clear legal protections and independent oversight, information sharing legislation will undermine the public's trust in the Government as well as in the Internet by undermining fundamental privacy, confidentiality, civil liberties, and consumer protections.

This is an amazing development.  Let's make the most of it:

Just click here to urge Obama to stand strong and to tell your lawmakers to oppose CISPA.

Thanks.

-Demand Progress

PS- We only have a few days left to kill CISPA.  Please tell your friends to get involved by forwarding this email or using these links:

that strange? i'm an subscriber on demand progress but i didn't get this e-mail.

[firerain]

fudge off jormer

[Revtattertot]

Hey, at least he's on topic.

Of course, I didn't get the notice either, so I kinda empathize with him here.

[Lethrface]

Check your spam folder if you haven't.  A few of their emails have gone to my spam folder for some reason.

[Holkeye]

I got it too, but DP is fucking annoying. I unsubscribe every time I sign a petition because they send me a bunch of shit that I don't care about. Same with avazz.

[Revtattertot]

Found it. Thanks guys.

[Lethrface]

I got it too, but DP is fucking annoying. I unsubscribe every time I sign a petition because they send me a bunch of shit that I don't care about. Same with avazz.

Yeah I generally don't care cuz I get spammed by almost everyone and their mother already anyway.

[Lethrface]

Figured I would bump this to post the following.

From: http://act.demandprogress.org/letter/cispa_passes?akid=1331.468733.Sfeqtw&rd=1&t=3

House Passes CISPA: Make Sure It Dies In The Senate

We pushed them to the brink, but House Republicans rammed through CISPA this afternoon, ahead of schedule.  Let's make sure it dies in the Senate: Please add your name at right.

CISPA would give the government and corporations vast new powers to track and share data about Americans' Internet use.

But our hundreds of thousands of emails and tens of thousands of phone calls have had a real impact:

Amendments were adopted that made CISPA (marginally) better.
Earlier this month CISPA was supposed to sail through, but we helped foment opposition, and the vote was far closer than anybody could have imagined even a couple of weeks ago.
Most Democrats held firm in opposition, and more than two dozen libertarian-leaning Republicans defied their leadership and voted no.
Most importantly, President Obama has threatened to veto CISPA.
The Senate will consider cyber security legislation in the coming weeks.  Let's turn up the heat right away: Tell the Senate to reject CISPA and any and all legislation that doesn't respect privacy and civil liberties.