I don’t know if you know about SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) or not. It is a fear-mongering legislation that puts forth that our country (US) is being financially ruined by online piracy. Is it really?
The list of companies (see below) that are in support of SOPA baffle me. I can understand the entertainment industries, to an extent. But the law enforcement and the fire fighters unions? Really, WTF.
If enacted, the US government and corporations can create blacklists of sites that are accused of “Piracy” and/or copyright infringement. The website has five days to appeal before it is permanent.
But if you think this is only going to apply to non-US sites that are distributing bootleg movies, music and software, you might want to think again. Look at the text of the act in the description:
To promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by
combating the theft of U.S. property, and for other purposes
Along with this is the PIPA (Protect IP “Intellectual Property” Act). Thus, if I post about some technology put in place by CBS (who is a supporter) and call out anything they do not want attention drawn to, they can claim I am infringing on their Intellectual Property. This site gets blocked with a graphic, possibly like the following:
Now the above was a graphic sites put up to protest on the 19th of December. But you get the idea.
More information is available here. The full text of SOPA can be read here.
GoDaddy.com was on the list of supporters. However, after a massive campaign to boycott, the company flip-flopped.
I am going to go through the list and pull my service from as many of these companies that I can. Some cannot be avoided, but others can.
The Reddit campain to boycott GoDaddy was such a success that now they are targeting the politicians in favor of the Act(s).
Go to OpenCongress.org to send a message to your Congress member to oppose this pending legislation.
Companies supporting SOPA are:
- AFL-CIO
- Motion Picture Association of America
- Independent Film & Television Alliance
- National Association of Theatre Owners
- Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc.,
- National Music Publishers’ Association
- American Federation of Musicians
- Directors Guild of America
- International Brotherhood of Teamsters
- Screen Actors Guild
- National Cable & Telecommunications Association
- Recording Industry Association of America
- Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies
- Comcast
- NBC Universal
- Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America
- National Association of Manufacturers
- Concerned Women for America
- Viacom
- National Criminal Justice Association
- National District Attorneys Association
- Council of State Governments
- International Trademark Association
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
- International Association of Fire Fighters
- U. S. Chamber of Commerce
- Americans for Tax Reform
- Let Freedom Ring
- National Football League
- Pfizer
- Johnson & Johnson
- Outdoor Industry Association
- National Electrical Manufacturers Association
- Association of American Publishers
- Ford Motor Company
- Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
- Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
- News Corporation
- Walt Disney Company
- Society of Plastics Industry
- Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council
- Software & Information Industry Association
- Entertainment Software Association
- American Association of Independent Music
- Eli Lilly and Company
- Merck
- Specialty Equipment Market Association
- Xerox Corporation
- Universal Music Group Inc.
- Walmart
- Dow Chemical
- Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
- Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
- Warner Music Group
- Major League Baseball
- National Confectioners Association
- Estee Lauder Companies
- Sony Pictures Entertainment
- CBS Corporation
- National Basketball Association
- The Walt Disney Company
- Greeting Card Association
- Advanced Medical Technology Association
- Beam Global Spirits &Wine
- Sony Music Entertainment
- Adidas America
- Acushnet Company
- ABRO Industries, Inc.
- 1-800-PetMeds
- 1-800 Contacts, Inc.
- Blue Sky Studios, Inc.
- Bose Corporation
- Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
- Burberry
- Electronic Components Industry Association
- HarperCollins Publishers
- Kekepana International Services
- LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton
- Nike, Inc.
- Nintendo
- Taylor Made Golf Company, Inc.
- Timberland Company
- Tiffany & Co.
- Time Warner
- Sporting Goods Manufacturer’s Association
- 3M Company
- National Retail Federation
- Retail Industry Leaders Association
- Viacom
- Philip Morris International
- National Association of Broadcasters