The end of Internet as we know it? SOPA/PROTECT-IP.

[firewalker]

S.O.P.A.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

PROTECT-IP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_IP_Act

Probably will be voted in U.S. soon. So the evil/stupid empire needs to force every one else in the game.

E.g.

In a leaked letter sent to Spain’s outgoing President, the US ambassador to the country warned that as punishment for not passing a SOPA-style file-sharing site blocking law, Spain risked being put on a United States trade blacklist . Inclusion would have left Spain open to a range of “retaliatory options” but already the US was working with the incoming government to reach its goals.

Alexander.

[BravoV]

Wonder how many Spaniards hate their own government that turning into Uncle Sam's poodle dog ?

[8086]

Apparently Google, Twitter, Facebook, et al. are considering a total blackout with only a message when you visit with information about SOPA and who to contact. In all honesty, I hope they go ahead.

[Psi]

[my personal views]

It doesn't really matter how many laws governments pass, most people now believe copying stuff is acceptable and will keep doing it.
The more the riaa/mpaa industry pushes the more likely it will be cut out of the profits when the whole entertainment system crumbles away and a new system develops that doesn't include them.
In some ways a totally ridiculous system is good in that it will bring about change sooner.

I can see three possible outcomes in the future with regard to media/piracy.

1) The more the government/mpaa/riaa try to clamp down the most outrage there will be when they start actively try to enforce it on a large scale.
Eventually it will reach the point where people have had enough and it will force a law change to something more reasonable.

2) Companies offering legal download services will increase, get cheaper and eventually turn into an "all your can eat" type pricing structure. Something like $100 a year for all the media you want. Most people will be more than happy with that.
The movie/record labels will suddenly find they are making more money than ever before off these kind of systems and everyone will be happy again.

3) A large company (like Google) will start up their own record/movie label so they have complete control over distribution.  They will offer really good prices on media and, like above, 'all you can eat' or even advertising based free media will develop. At first they will have only a few tvshows/music artists then as existing contracts expire others will join until it either scares the current movie/tv labels into providing a proper system or it cuts them out of the market.

-) Whatever happens, at some point the current system of different released dates for media around the world will end. The only way a new media system can survive is to be on-demand for everyone who wants it wherever they are in the world.

[/my personal views]

[HLA-27b]

It's time for peole to start forming their own private networks away from governments isp's media companies and all that crap. Technology is already here anyway.

[NiHaoMike]

It's time for peole to start forming their own private networks away from governments isp's media companies and all that crap. Technology is already here anyway.

If we had a supply of low cost 1W 2.4GHz (and 5GHz) amplifiers, a long range wireless mesh network can be made using 802.11. The problem is that I don't know of such a source for those. But there are low cost 1W 900MHz amplifiers, so maybe I should team up with Tiffany Yep to create a wireless mesh standard for 900MHz? Or just zap lasers from building to building, which would be capable of very high bandwidth. And maybe run high frequency carriers on the power lines, although it would be hit or miss whether two neighboring buildings would be on the same transformer and phase.

And in any case, boycott the RIAA and MPAA while raising awareness of the problems.

[RCMR]

These were my takes on the whole situation:

2012, the year of the cyber-rebel?

and

SOPA, suicide for the RIAA and its members?

[HLA-27b]

These were my takes on the whole situation:

Nice write-up. From my vantage point, which is in the middle between the west and the east I can see that the western world is not as unlikely to be a center of civil upheaval as you say. Maybe not Australia and New Zealand but US and Europe are close to the limits where civil population and the governments can hardly tolerate each other any more. Both are out of money and running out of options.

What I see is the danger of a major armed conflict once again looming over the world. A communication network which can not be controlled by governments may help alleviate this danger. Also we need to start moving away from oil and stop population growth  and pronto.

btw. in my country population growth is a major issue and at the same time it is "the ultimate vote looser" for the politicians.

[HLA-27b]

if you haven't seen this yet:

[PeteInTexas]

S.O.P.A.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

PROTECT-IP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_IP_Act

Voted in U.S. recently. So the evil/stupid empire needs to force every one else in the game.

What was voted in the U.S. recently?  I'm pretty sure S.O.P.A is still in committee.  GoDaddy just paid a dear price for its support of it at the end of 2011.  Both congressional chambers have been in "recess" since before Christmas.  What are you talking about?

[EEVblog]

btw. in my country population growth is a major issue and at the same time it is "the ultimate vote looser" for the politicians.

I'm curious, in what way is it a major issue?
Do people in China like the One Child Policy and see it as good thing or a bad thing in general?
Such schemes are of course generally good for the planet's future and the future prosperity of our children and their children, but not so great financially for the country that actually does it. Many predictions are that China will suffer big time in a few generations when India who are breeding like rabbits will take over and dominate.



Sorry, don't wish the hijack the thread :->

Dave.

[Sionyn]

In a leaked letter sent to Spain’s outgoing President, the US ambassador to the country warned that as punishment for not passing a SOPA-style file-sharing site blocking law, Spain risked being put on a United States trade blacklist . Inclusion would have left Spain open to a range of “retaliatory options” but already the US was working with the incoming government to reach its goals.

http://torrentfreak.com/us-threatened-to-blacklist-spain-for-not-implementing-site-blocking-law-120105/

[HLA-27b]

I'm curious, in what way is it a major issue?
Do people in China like the One Child Policy and see it as good thing or a bad thing in general?
Such schemes are of course generally good for the planet's future and the future prosperity of our children and their children, but not so great financially for the country that actually does it. Many predictions are that China will suffer big time in a few generations when India who are breeding like rabbits will take over and dominate.

Major issue in the sense that the unemplyment is grossly down played by the government, yet the country has no industry to speak of besides maybe agriculture, no electronics industry, no aerospace industry, and definitely not even close to china in terms of low cost. In these circumstances the govt. still finds the guts to preach "three kids in every familiy" these were the very words of the PM. We are 70M at the moment and multiplying fast. As can be expected, the signs of overpopulation are alredy there - unemployment, inadequate helth and education system, high crime, a bloated and inefficient government which is also corrupt etc etc.

[EEVblog]

Oops, I mistook your flag for China!, sorry 

Dave.

[HLA-27b]

Opps... damn low res 

[saturation]

These are still pending in congress, it hasn't been voted into law.  I am firmly against it, if valid in your country join opposition groups against similar bills before they are voted into law.

http://americancensorship.org/

S.O.P.A.: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

PROTECT-IP: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PROTECT_IP_Act

Voted in U.S. recently. So the evil/stupid empire needs to force every one else in the game.

E.g.

In a leaked letter sent to Spain’s outgoing President, the US ambassador to the country warned that as punishment for not passing a SOPA-style file-sharing site blocking law, Spain risked being put on a United States trade blacklist . Inclusion would have left Spain open to a range of “retaliatory options” but already the US was working with the incoming government to reach its goals.

Alexander.

[firewalker]

My bad. Changed the original text to "Probably will be voted".

Alexander.

[saturation]

No worries, folks need to know about this and speak out before it becomes law, so your post is important and timely.  Its harder to repeal a law than prevent it from existing.

My bad. Changed the original text to "Probably will be voted".

Alexander.

[PeteInTexas]

No worries, folks need to know about this and speak out before it becomes law, so your post is important and timely.  Its harder to repeal a law than

Got my chance to "vote with my wallet" couple of weeks ago by joining many who moved their domains away from GoDaddy, just about the only high profile internet centric company to publicly support SOPA.  They have since capitulated and thats great.  The pressure needs to keep up though.

The stakes are high.  It is possible that Dave will lose his blog with SOPA.

[BravoV]

It is possible that Dave will lose his blog with SOPA.

Huh ?  Mine elaborate further ?

[PeteInTexas]

It is possible that Dave will lose his blog with SOPA.

Huh ?  Mine elaborate further ?

One of the "reliefs" a quote rights holder unquote can ask for under the proposed law is domain seizure whereby by a court orders DNS servers to "shutdown" a domain.  The url instead will resolve to some page stating that the domain has  been seized due to alleged copyright infringement.  One of the reasons GoDaddy supported SOPA is they stand to gain from these seizures.  Ars Technica is following this pretty well.  See there for their various write up on it.

I will leave it up to your imagination on how Dave may be accused of copyright infringement.  The bar is pretty low which is another thing that is wrong with SOPA.

[firewalker]

Huh ?  Mine elaborate further ?

Let's say I am:

Asking for a datasheet that happens to be copyrighted.
Cracking open a U.S. made "black magic box" (like some infrared camera products) with "controlled" technology and post pictures.
Asking help for an Ukrainian made tactical nuclear weapon trigger I am designing.
Posting a yt video with a song.
Giving help to a Iranian user with an obscure project.

mpla mpla mpla

Alexander.

[RCMR]

Yes, the big problem with SOPA and many of the other initiatives being driven by the RIAA/MPAA is that they allow people to act only on the allegation of guilt -- not the proof.

The basic tenet of justice is the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty -- under much of this new and proposed copyright law reform and anti-terror legislation, that right is removed and "the powers that be" need only accuse you of a crime for you to be presumed guilty -- unless *you* can prove otherwise.

We've just gone through something similar with the "three strikes" law (Sec 82A of our Copyright Act) in which the copyright owners wanted to be gifted the power to have people's internet connections withdrawn (for a lengthy period) if they were *accused* of downloading material without permission three times.

Fortunately we got that tossed out -- but it was a hard-won battle that involved internet black-outs by content producers and mass protests.  However, the threshold of proof is still very, very low in the legislation that was finally passed into law.

The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.

[McMonster]

Huh ?  Mine elaborate further ?

Let's say I am:

Asking for a datasheet that happens to be copyrighted.
Cracking open a U.S. made "black magic box" (like some infrared camera products) with "controlled" technology and post pictures.
Asking help for an Ukrainian made tactical nuclear weapon trigger I am designing.
Posting a yt video with a song.
Giving help to a Iranian user with an obscure project.

mpla mpla mpla

Alexander.

No need to look that far. Anyone remember Dave's flux capacitor t-shirt story?

[BravoV]

Yes, the big problem with SOPA and many of the other initiatives being driven by the RIAA/MPAA is that they allow people to act only on the allegation of guilt -- not the proof.

Damn , this is so ridiculously stupid and it will be really messy if this turned into law. 

So can I easily claim that www.whitehouse.gov is mine ?