SOPA/PIPA NOT just an American Issue - Take action now!

Posted on | January 22, 2012 |

The entertainment and media industry say they are looking for a way to protect themselves from international content thieves, but this is really just a cover story for the real reason they are seeking protection - they want us to stop creating and sharing content on the web - they want the 20th Century media model back - the one where they created, distributed and sold ALL the content and we were not involved.

The result of their powerful lobbying is SOPA/PIPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Protect IP Act in the Senate were introduced last year). But this is not just an American issue, it will affect all of us!

Please watch this short video from Clay Shirky who explains the situation in an entertaining and compelling way.

Last Wednesday a group of technology companies including Google, Firefox, and Wikipedia protested by shutting down or replacing the content on their own sites with protest messages to show their unhappiness with these two Internet-regulation bills. They argue that the bills will impose huge regulatory costs and stifle innovation on the Web and I believe they are right.

Take action. Know any American citizens? As Clay Shirky says: ask them to speak to their representative, call their senator. And please, please stay in touch with this issue, we have to continually protect our civil liberties. If these bills are passed in the US they affect the Internet which means they affect all of us!