Free What Is SOPA/PIPA Acts And How They Affect Web Users/Developers

Nowadays, SOPA/PIPA  rules have become a brning issue in the blogosphere. Even google and wikipedia raised their opposition against this act. Actually whatś these rules and how they affect common net users or website owners. What will be the issues if the action is practicallized? Letś check one by one.

What is PIPA and SOPA

PIPA =Protect IP Act

The Protect IP Act (PIPA) is a U.S. Senate bill introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy. Along with its House counterpart Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), the bills are designed to provide the government and copyright holders with powers to block access to “rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods,” especially those registered outside the United States. Since its introduction on May 11th, 2011, the proposed bill has been met by opposition from various digital rights activists and bloggers for its encroachment in online activities protected under the first amendment of free speech

If passed by Congress, Protect IP Act would allow the government to curb public access to websites that have “no significant use” other than infringing copyright, enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. It would also make unauthorized media streaming an act of felony and hold the web publishers and hosting services responsible for curbing their users from posting copyright-infringed content.



SOPA =Stop Online Piracy Act

SOPA is an acronym for the Stop Online Piracy Act, and is a bill introduced to the U.S. House of Representatives by Represenative Lamar Smith on October 26, 2011. In similarity with PIPA, SOPA is a build on a previous legislation. This legislation being the PRO-IP Act of 2008.

SOPA, if passed, will work in conjunction with PIPA. As described by such entities as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, SOPA is nothing more so than the U.S. government and private corporations black list. Here is a breakdown of the power given to the government and private corporations.
The U.S. Attorney General can now seek a court order that would force search engines, advertisers, DNS providers, servers, and payment processors from having any contact with allegedly infringing websites
It will allow private corporations to create their own personal hit lists composed of websites they feel are breaking their copyright policies, ironically this doesn’t have any odd feelings of a legal mafia at all. These companies will be able to directly contact a website’s payment processors a notice to cut all off payment involvement with the targeted website. This payment processors and website of question will then have five days to act before it is simply taken down.
Payment processors will have the power to cut off any website they work with, as long as they can provide a strong reason of why they believe this site is violating copyrights

How Does This Affect You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE5WlyQRvaM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE5WlyQRvaM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDX8Lyl16Qs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDX8Lyl16Qs


Well by now one probably has gained a good understanding of what both PIPA and SOPA are, and is wondering how exactly will these acts will directly affect how citizens use the internet. Well in all honestly, a lot of things will change.

•Blog Sites like 1stwebdesigner could be blocked or shut down
•Say Goodbye to Innovation
•Legal Action Over A Child Singing A Song
Online Reaction +development
•The legislation has been opposed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), Yahoo!, eBay, American Express, Google, Reporters Without Borders, and Human Rights Watch
•October 19th: Free Bieber Campaign
•November 16th: American Censorship Day



•Telephone Campaign on Tumblr------------
•On Twitter
•Hashtags #blacklist, #SOPA and #dontbreaktheinternet have become closely associated with Protect IP Act and SOPA-related discussions on Twitter.
•Wikipedia’s Strike
•December 22nd: GoDaddy Boycott Campaign---------------
•December 29th: Nuclear Option Rumors---------------
•January 4th: Chaos Communication Congress------------
•January 10th: #BlackoutSOPA-------------------

Alternative Proposal: OPEN Act

“The OPEN Act is built to protect creative ownership in America while securing the open, accessible Internet you deserve. We’re going further by actually opening up the legislative process with a new tool named Madison.”



Sign Online Petitions

You don’t have to be a U.S. citizen to take charge here, online petitions is a great way to get a global reach on how people feel. The most important thing is that everyone is heard, in any shape or form.

The article is reproduced from the site www.nextgenhack.com