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StatusSOPA and PIPA: what are the implications?
SOPA and PIPA are respectively two bills in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.
SOPA is the acronym of “Stop Online Piracy Act” and PIPA stands for “Protect Intellectual Property Act”.
The goals of these two bills are to stop copyright infringement on the Web in the United States, originating especially from foreign countries, according to American legislators.
However, according to its opponnents, the bills will violate freedom of expression while damaging the Internet as we know it.
Despite the fact iWeb did not engage in a specific activity today, we do follow the case closely. We suggest you to gather information about SOPA and PIPA in order to understand how Internet users are involved in the United States as well as in other countries, especially in Canada.
More detailed information is available on the GovTrack.us website, which follows the American Congress activities:
SOPA: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h112-3261
PIPA: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s112-968
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to defend Internet users, summarizes why these bills are unacceptable in an open, free and safe Internet world:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2012/01/how-pipa-and-sopa-violate-white-house-principles-supporting-free-speech.
Here is a video produced by Fight for the Future that describes how we are involved in these bills:
Many renowned Websites joined this fight by warning their users about the situation:
Wikipedia
Google
Wired
The Oatmeal
Reddit
In Canada:
Identica
Tucows
Michael Geist (Copyright specialist and law professor at University of Ottawa)
In the Media:
http://www.branchez-vous.com/techno/actualite/2012/01/sopa_une_journee_de_greve_inte.html
http://blogues.radio-canada.ca/surleweb/2012/01/17/protestations-anti-sopapipa-le-canada-participera-t-il/
http://www.radio-canada.ca/emissions/la_sphere/2011-2012/chronique.asp?idChronique=195737
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/01/17/f-sopa-canada.html
(Sources: Wikipedia, GovTrack.us, Electronic Frontier Foundation, CBC)
We would be glad to know what your questions or concerns are on the subject. Feel free to comment:
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January 18th, 2012 2:56 pm
Hi stephane,
Also interesting to note the official statement from the Whitehouse after these weeks of discussions around SOPA and PIPA.
a quick sum-up : There’s a problem with piracy but the best solution may not be coming from a law but rather from all the parties involved may they be content creators and content providers :
https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#/%21/response/combating-online-piracy-while-protecting-open-and-innovative-internet
best,
Bertrand
January 18th, 2012 3:39 pm
Thx Bertrand. It seems that there is no real consensus among politicians about the whole issue, besides the fact that piracy and copyright infringement should be countered (which is fine). Now that the Whitehouse issued this statement is seems that more official sponsors are withdrawing their support: http://mashable.com/2012/01/18/pipa-sopa-abandon-bill/
January 25th, 2012 8:00 pm
Hi, just wanted to post this link related to SOPA. There’s a bill they want to pass in Canada that is in the same vein as SOPA/PIPA. You should take a look at it:
http://mashable.com/2012/01/24/sopa-in-canada/
January 27th, 2012 10:20 am
Thanks for relaying this info. This is indeed very pertinent to the subject!