On December 15th, the infamous SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) went into markup for the U.S. House of Representatives. The SOPA bill is a legislation that is being discussed under the premise that it will decrease copyright infringement on the internet.
The reality, however, is far from that. The SOPA bill, in actuality, allows for mass censorship of media-based sites based on copyright infringement or the possibility of copyright infringement. This means that websites like Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter, where copyrighted pictures, links, and information can be uploaded, would either have to self-censor themselves or risk federal persecution.
Let’s put this into a real-world example: you decide to post lyrics in your Facebook post. If you do, and fail to provide the necessary citation, Facebook would have to censor your post, and possibly remove you from the website. If Facebook doesn’t, Facebook would be subject to lawsuit by the copyright’s holders and be blackmailed from internet service providers and search engines. If those companies fail to follow through in ousting Facebook, they, too, would be subject to lawsuit.
Another example is Youtube. If someone uploads a song, a stream of themselves playing a video game, or an uncited video review of a movie or game, Youtube would have to censor them or risk having the whole site banned from being hosted by any internet service provider.
The problem here is not piracy. Pirates do not post their videos on Youtube, or try to spread the word of songs on Facebook. Forcing major media outlets to censor themselves will not stop piracy – but it will stop creative thinking and free speech.
If SOPA passes, the fear of being blacklisted will cause the amount of self-censorship on major websites to skyrocket. A single copyright infringement by an uploader would be an excuse for the entire website to be restricted. SOPA does not stop piracy , it stops the free and independent thinker’s connection to others of the same mind.
You must be wondering who is supporting this bill. There’s Viacom, one of the biggest music labels in the modern-day industry, who seeks to only promote their music and not independent music production through free outlets like YouTube. If no new artists can be found, then they have control over what music is popular.
There is also EA, who has problems with negative reviews of their video games that circulate review websites. If major corporations have control over what is shown on major media outlets like these, they can control what footage, opinions, and products we see.
Stopping the corporate mass-marketing machine now is the only way to prevent further incursions onto the right of free speech and thought. To learn more about SOPA, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhwuXNv8fJM. The SOPA bill is decided upon on December 21, 2011. Please, write your congressional representative to make your voice heard.