SOPA/PIPA Info

Paul Lundgren Jan 18, 2012 10 Comments

Welcome back to your regularly scheduled Perfect Duluth Day programming. For roughly 24 hours, PDD was blacked out to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Protect IP Act in the U.S. Senate, co-sponsored by senators Al Franken and Amy Klobuchar.

Now that the silence is over, rant and rave all you want in the comments.

Here are some news links:

Fox 21: “Websites Black-Out in Protest of Possible Internet Censorship”
MPR: Delegation responds to Internet piracy bills
AP: Wikipedia editors question site’s SOPA blackout

Recommended Links:


News and Current Affairs, Politics

10 Comments

Tom

about 11 years ago 

I agree with Cravaack and disagree with Franken and Klobuchar.

I guess there's a first time for everything.

edgeways

about 11 years ago 

Yeah, it was weird legislation that had both cross-party support and cross-party opposition. Given that prior to a few days ago it looked like SOPA and PIPA would sail trough Congress I have to wonder just a little bit on how many people who are now saying they have always opposed it always actually did. But, that is nearly pointless speculation at this point. 

For what it's worth, it looks like both Franken and Klobuchar have back stepped a bit. They both are saying changes need to be made, which isn't as good as withdrawing their co-sponsorship but at least is a step in the correct direction. Hope everyone actually contacted their congress-critter, sounds like the contact rate was in the millions.

quirtep

about 11 years ago 

No kidding.  This one threw me for a loop.  Why would Franken and Klobuchar support something that just benefits the entertainment industry and so clearly would negatively affect millions of websites, and the net-at-large?  I guess there is a generation gap or something going on.  Fairness and anti-piracy is one thing, but sweeping laws that mess up the whole Internet is a crazy reaction to what is inevitable regardless.

jessige

about 11 years ago 

I just wanted to say thanks to PDD for blacking out and raising awareness.

Sam

about 11 years ago 

Ironic, since Lamar Smith, the Texas Republican who put forth SOPA in congress (a bill which promotes even jail time for people caught violating copyright laws), violated copyright with his own website.  His copyright violation is now all over the web, as sweet just desserts.

Lamar Smith: SOPA Author, Copyright Violator

Rae

about 11 years ago 

I just hope this serves as a good reminder to people to give credit where credit is due.

The Oatmeal was blacked out yesterday - he provided multiple examples of how his own work has been pirated and how it generates ad revenue for the offender - but he still doesn't support the bill as a whole.

lojasmo

about 11 years ago 

First world. Problems.

Could the bill be better?  Yes.  Should copyright violators be punished?  Yes.  Should websites do a better job excluding copyrighted material?  Yes.

On aggregate, probably a necessary evil.

wingsofjudas

about 11 years ago 

Speaking of the Oatmeal: 

The results of yesterday's animated GIF about SOPA

Carla

about 11 years ago 

For a good time right click on the oatmeal animated gif of goat koala love and read the source page

Paul Lundgren

about 11 years ago 

Rep. Lamar Smith, author of the Stop Online Piracy Act, is postponing consideration of the bill.

Washington Post: "SOPA, PIPA votes to be delayed in House and Senate"

Leave a Comment

Only registered members can post a comment , Login / Register Here

Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site!
Read previous post:
What Canal Park Brewing Company will look like

Canal Park Brewing Co. is expected to open this summer. Construction is underway and Wagner Zaun Architecture's designs look like...

Close