US controls Internet

[Giberish]

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news-and-features-news/senate-committee-approves-anti-piracy-bill-1004127940.story

So...slippery step or not?

I think it is. We if we start allowing the government to do this, where does it stop?
I know piracy is an issue, and truly will never go away. But this is just way to vague on what they have the power to do. This power gives the courts and the attorney general to blacklist websites, entire websites from being viewed by citizens in the United States of America. They say only sites "dedicated to infringing activity", that is a pretty vague for how they defined it. Youtube could be banned because of this statement, underground could be banned, tumblr, myspace and facebook. All gone because of this statement.

I say to much control is being given to the United States government, where they have no right to have control.

[Rom]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwww crapp! I was just spreading links and stuff to sign the petition and links to senators' numbers! arghh!

Yes it's bad! And yes it is vague! You hit it right on. It's like an anti=piracy thing but it's so much more than that! It definitely has the ability to become way more.
it's like the patriot act, but for the internets.

[RS-Swany]

this fucking country sometimes....

[RSshruew]

This is a horrible bill and I have been following COICA for quite a while.  (ACTA is just as bad, if not worse).  It's a law funded by the entertainment industry hoping that they can legislate to save their failing business model and sponsored by the politicians in their back pockets.  It won't solve the entertainment industry's problem and it will be ripe with abuse just like DCMA. 

[RS-LoveOfProfit]

I just threw up a little. Blatantly paid off politicians ftl.

[RS-SquiZo]

wow.. Im impressed and shocked. I actually thought that we (Germans in this case) would have such a BS law way earlier then the US, I guess I was wrong. That is one of the worst ideas in the last 20 years IMO. And as you guys said it could get really bad. Man I cant really believe it, its like a far-east-country blocking Youtube and shit, it always kinda made me laugh cause I couldnt believe how stupid they are. Interesting that the US are following such examples apparently.... Now the only question is, when will we germans see such a move? Lets hope it wont happen at all...

PS: ha the only thing that makes me laugh about this is the possibility that u guys need to use IP changers now (well perhaps sometimes) and not me anymore :D

[RSshruew]

The picture of the old, decrepit Patrick Leahy sums it up.  A bunch of old people who have no idea how the internet works gets funded and filled with "facts" by an industry to make a horrible law.  I'm sure they are clueless and probably actually buy that they are helping save jobs in Hollywood or some shit.  But, basically they are giving a gun to Hollywood to shoot down any website they don't like without due process.

Because of piracy?  There are already laws that give recourse to that.  Of course, that requires that pesky lil due process thing.  Who needs that?

Will it stop piracy?  No.  Will it give Hollywood a means to abuse the internet.  Yes.  Did it line the pockets of many politicians...yes. 

Here's an example scenario enabled by this bill.  Say someone posts a link to on our forums linking to a site that links to pirated movies etc.  Some movie troll finds it before we remove it and makes a screen shot.  They could then submit it to the DoJ and have the entire domain confiscated without due process.

Guilty into proven innocent.

It's also an afront to clear fair use.  Say you run a movie review site that takes movie clips to show how horrible movies are.  Again, Hollywood comes in and decides they don't like it and takes you down.  It's up to you to spend your money to fight to get it back.

[RS-LoveOfProfit]

In a similar vein of "overbearing government" I think we should have a discussion on the current hullabaloo regarding the TSA and its screening/pat downs.

[Rom]

There's still time to throw this piece of crap out. That was just approval by the Judiciary Committee, and they recommend that the full senate pass it.
it's still looking bad, especially with so many sponsors and backing, but it's not law yet.

Call your senators!
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

[Giberish]

SO yeah, i did my speech on this. A lot of people were shocked.

What pissed me off is it seems that you aren't able to plead your case. It's like instant ban thanks to courts and the AG (Who the fuck should give them power, of all people)
Notice the big supporters too, the actors, and music industry. Also the point that they are spreading their control over an area that the Government has no right to be part of. It disgusts me to the point where I'm so fed up with our country.

My speech was suppose to be 3 minutes, it turned out to be 5 minutes because i went on a tirade about our government. People were afraid of me haha

And shruew, you are completely right, this bill has so much ability to be used for wrong. And what i think is even worse is no one is stepping in, no news stations, not wallstreet, nyt, or USA today. Only mention in the news i found was in September nyt did a 1 sentence stating that the committee was forming a bill such as this. The matter that it passed the committee vote and is moving on to full senate review, is just disgusting. Before we know it if we keep this up, we'll be no better then the Chinese and European countries.

What happened to the United States of America. Starting a new world to escape the Tyranny of control. To govern ourselves?

[RSshruew]

Thanks to this senator, this bill is dead until next year:

http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/211162/senator_threatens_to_block_online_copyright_bill.html

[Giberish]

Coming from a Democrat too. That is amazing, and I'm so happy. I hope more rise up to this, and it shows that we still have good sane people in our government...

Though i wonder who is paying him to say that? haha

[RS-SquiZo]

yo Gib, u mentioned "no better then chinese and european countries", which european countries are u talking about? I cant think of a single european country banning any website because of similar reasons or well banning anything at all.

[Giberish]

I thought Germany, and i believe England ( i know they aren't considered EU) banned some sites because of the violence tendancy in them? I may be wrong, i'm going to go look now

[Giberish]

This one is about Turkey - http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=banning-websites-i--2010-07-20
In May 2007, the Turkish government enacted Law no. 5651 to regulate publications on the Internet and to suppress crimes committed by these publications. It was a reaction to concerns about defamatory videos available on the popular video sharing website YouTube involving the founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.

This one is about France on a gambling site - http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number8.16/gambling-websites-blocked-isp-europe

This is about banning p2p - http://www.zeropaid.com/news/9611/isps_to_ban_p2p_with_new_european_telecom_package/
THough i don't think that one got passed.

So notice how these are all pretty old. 2007, 2008 and 2009. I guess America is catching up now with their 2010 coica act. I'm just pointing out that some European countries have or wanted to something similar. Spreading their control on to the internet, like China.