Nora_Tallica

Jan 17 2012, 03:26 PM

I really don't know anything about United States laws, but here in Spain we have laws about security to protect underage people, if someone 18 years old or older will try to date with someone under 13 years old via facebook, twitter, messenger, etc..(cibergrooming) will go to prision. Also parents can block websites calling to their internet company and now we have a law who block download of movies, songs, games, etc... called ''Ley Sinde'', they are closing a bunch of pages for downloading like ''eMule''.

Voxx

Jan 17 2012, 05:36 PM

I think what you're talking about are the bills that have been introduced into the US Senate regarding internet piracy. The first bill, known as SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) would seek to allow the US department of justice to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright information (like movies and music etc.). The idea is to stop advertising firms and whatnot from doing business with these websites so that they eventually have to shut down from lack of funds. I think the bill also wants to criminalize the unauthorized streaming of materials as well (like if you want to watch a tv show online). The second bill is PROTECT IP Act which would allow the government and copyright holders to use additional tools to reign in websites that provide counterfeit goods, especially websites outside the US.

I think the general concern over these bills is that they would limit the freedom of fair use on the internet. The internet is a virtual, global location and the idea of the US attempting to punish those outside its jurisdiction (i.e. people who own websites outside the US) is what a lot of people are upset about.

I'm pretty sure a number of major internet companies are participating in blackouts (wikipedia, reddit, etc.) are a means to protest the bills because they say that if they pass, then websites like those mentioned above will cease to be the free, accessible websites that they current are now. I think Google is also in opposition to the bills.

If they pass, I think that they will affect a lot of people, not just those people in the USA. Do I support it? No, not really I don't. I understand that people want to stop internet piracy and illegal trading of copy righted material. I get that. But what the USA is proposing with these bills to me, is a form of cyber warfare and isn`t really attempting to curtail internet piracy. Rather, they are looking to extend their reach and jurisdiction into the cyber world before anyone else does. This is because cyber warfare is a real problem int he 21st century as foreign governments hire hackers and companies in attempts to engage in cyber espionage. For example...Wikileaks.

I don`t know...it`s a crazy world we live in... especially when people are trying to legislate pixels.

Lifer

Jan 19 2012, 05:00 PM

I kinda made one of these..............

Lizzie Ulrich

Jan 19 2012, 05:15 PM

If this keeps up, we will have a Virtual World War. Do not talk about anything here.
But from what I heard, Obama vetoed the SOPA.