SOPA could shut down neowin in the USA

[neufuse Veteran]

Anyone read the Stop online piracy act? if you read it in detail, it makes neowin illegal... basically saying anyone that republishes content without express permission of its owners and makes money off of it is in violation and faces a ban in the USA..

this even includes if a forum user posts a story without the owners permission as neowin is still the transmission method...

anyone with a better legal understanding of this act know what it is proposing?

note: this is not law, and google is majorly against it and is trying to fight it

[Mr.ed]

Damn, what are they thinking...

[cybertimber2008]

Neowin is profitable?

[neufuse Veteran]

here's googles take on it

SOPA raises serious First Amendment concerns for U.S. citizens, as well. The prospect of ISPs and search engines ?disappearing entire sites when they have violated no U.S. law (but only facilitated unlawful acts of third parties) raises serious concerns. Those concerns are exacerbated because SOPA permits these sanctions against sites when unlawful activities are limited only to a portion of the site.

-Google

[The Teej]

Surely then this makes a significant amount of journalist or news websites illegal?

[neufuse Veteran]

Surely then this makes a significant amount of journalist or news websites illegal?

that's the big beef people are having with this proposed law

[Charisma Veteran]

I guess they can't come right out and say "we want the masses to be uninformed", so they have to find these "acceptable" ways of doing it...?

(I'm no conspiracy theorist, I'm just thinking out loud.)

[The Teej]

I'm assuming this SOPA project is spearheaded by those MPAA and RIAA idiots?

[Clearskies]

This is ridiculous! The US government gives a whole new meaning to the word 'tyranny'...

[Pulgafree]

They can't control the flow of information. Using the excuse (like IRAN, IRAK, etc, etc) that someone for some reason could OWN a news, a fact, a comment, ban the flow of information to the masses. Now, the North American people will knew less, be more "dumb" about facts since the only ones they will get is for major corporations that creates news about what they want the way they wanted.

In 2 to 3 years, I predict a major move of military troops to X country voted by the citizen of USA, filled with random facts.

[statm1]

Neowin is profitable?

There's a difference between revenue and profit. But yes Neowin makes money.

[Growled Member]

I suspect the law will be used selectively. They will target mainly piracy sites at first. I'm sure it won't be long before someone gets the idea that with this law they can ban any site they don't approve of, and anyone who disagrees with them. They could ban Neowin but I really don't see us being much of a target.

[Detection]

Can't see the problem if the original source is linked under the article - after all the publisher posted it to be read as much as possible right ? It's not like secret member only information is being made public via Neowin - and the news posters do not claim any credit for the articles posted.

It's like buying a newspaper, and getting arrested and fined for showing someone a story, or discussing an article with a friend.

It will never be enforced, the idea covers far too much of the net / world

[Lexcyn]

I honestly don't understand how this could ever possibly be passed.

If it does ... well ... my faith in the US went from 10% to 0%.

[tagerd0g]

So I tweet this: Why doesn't @Occupy_DC march against #SOPA?

Response: because no one brought it up yet to @OccupyDCAction

I reply: I'm really surprised you guys are not on the ball about protesting #SOPA, considering the impact if it passes.

They reply: This goes for anyone: if you'd like to see something happen, please take the initiative and join a committee

I reply: I'm in Canada. This bill has far reaching impact.

I don't expect them to answer. Occupy_DC fail. :(

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

http://www.mozilla.org/sopa/

Right now, the US Congress is considering legislation that could profoundly affect the future of the internet we all know and love. It's called the Stop Online Piracy Act, but the fact is that it won't accomplish that goal. Instead, it will impose new, far-reaching consequences for us all. Here are just a few of the ways it could affect you:

? Every single online communications platform ? from YouTube to Facebook to Amazon ? could be under threat if a single rights holder alleges a violation.

? It would make the Web less stable and secure.

? General-purpose social media sites, like Twitter or Facebook, could be forced to track and control user behavior, chilling innovation and undermining free expression.

? Your internet provider could be required to inspect all of its users' traffic and browsing

This is what Mozilla has to say about this BS.

[Soulsiphon]

More 'small government' by righties - and Lamar Alexander no less (again).

These guys need to get shown the door. Why do we continue to sit back and let these idiots play these games for their corporate benefactors while doing nothing to help the economy or create jobs?

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

Of course, more monkeys behind a desk that have absolutely no clue in power. The government needs to smarten up before allowing idiots to propose such laws.

[Southern Patriot]

I guess they can't come right out and say "we want the masses to be uninformed", so they have to find these "acceptable" ways of doing it...?

(I'm no conspiracy theorist, I'm just thinking out loud.)

I'd say Hanlon's razor applies here.

Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.

This proposed law was probably written (as most laws are) by people who have no knowledge of how technology works, and are blissfully ignorant of the potential unintended consequences of the way it is written. Sort of like that idiot in New York a year or two ago who proposed a law that would outlaw all salt in the preparation of foods in restaurants (which would therefore outlaw a huge portion of foods that most people don't even realize are made using salt to some degree, like most breads and cheeses).

[Xerax]

Yay more law's made by the older generation that just don't understand it.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.3261:

In case anyone wants to read this garbage the link to the bill is above.

[Original Poster]

It is not illegal if the information is freely given and available (falls under the same thing as shareware programs) and is correctly referenced .... you need to check your internet law

[zeta_immersion]

who elects these idiots and how the hell did they get in power? .... it baffles me how some people can get in the govn form the riaa/mpaa become senators and our so called presidents/prime ministers/chancellors

[PGHammer]

who elects these idiots and how the hell did they get in power? .... it baffles me how some people can get in the govn form the riaa/mpaa become senators and our so called presidents/prime ministers/chancellors

Who elects these idiots? By and large, we do.

Once a Congressperson or Senator gets elected, it takes something extremely egregious and/or scandalous to prevent their re-election. (Consider no less than Newt Gingrich - it took a scandal manufactured out of whole cloth to make him one of only two *sitting* Speakers of the House to fail getting re-elected to their own district; Rep. Charles Rangel got whacked by the House Ethics Committee *and* the IRS for tax evasion, yet got re-elected.)

Who elects the idiots? If you are an American voter, look in the mirror.

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

Who elects these idiots? By and large, we do.

Once a Congressperson or Senator gets elected, it takes something extremely egregious and/or scandalous to prevent their re-election. (Consider no less than Newt Gingrich - it took a scandal manufactured out of whole cloth to make him one of only two *sitting* Speakers of the House to fail getting re-elected to their own district; Rep. Charles Rangel got whacked by the House Ethics Committee *and* the IRS for tax evasion, yet got re-elected.)

Who elects the idiots? If you are an American voter, look in the mirror.

There should be term limits imposed on these people. Being a Congressmen was not meant to be a life time job.