Of SOPA and Piracy

24.1.12 The Reporter 0 Comments

A major event caused waves to rock the entire Internet and the wired people dependent on it for their information, entertainment, and even careers: the SOPA was introduced as a US Bill, and as an effect, websites the world over launched their own protests against the passage of this legislation into law.

While the law had good intentions, indeed, as "SOPA: An open letter to Washington from Artists and Creators" has pointed out, SOPA:

"...Could be easily abused against legitimate services [...]. These bills would allow entire websites to be blocked without due process, causing collateral damage to the legitimate users of the same services - artists and creators [...] who would be censored as a result."

Indeed, with a massive and sweeping law as the SOPA, worldwide censorship and a "Big Brother" state seems like a closer reality than ever before. And it was a good temporary victory for freedom of speech, indeed, when US legislators decided to review and revise the bill and delay a vote. It may be shelved, and the Internets can let out a good sigh of temporary relief, but it's not totally out of the radar, just yet.

Good laws will serve the best interests of the general public, they should only be crafted well, stated well, and implemented without abuse.

Good luck to that happening this side of Heaven.

In other news, tech pundits note that the feds may have gotten impatient with the SOPA's temporary defeat and went on and sacked MegaUpload:

Full Size Picture Here

What does this mean for the Internet-hooked public? If you're a torrent and downloads addict, then you better start deleting your "borrowed" files and start buying from iTunes, Amazon, or the other licensed digital downloads stores. It may cost you, but it will save you from massively catastrophic consequences such as these:

From CNet's Report

Take note: each of the 24 songs she downloaded would have cost her only $0.99, as even Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the defendant, was quick to point out. For a measly $23.76 she tried to avoid paying, she got a high-profile case, infamy, and a $1.5 MILLION DOLLAR fine. While the case is said to possibly drag for years, even a decade or so, still, the hassle, the energy spent, the money spent on the case: are all these really worth skipping iTunes/Amazon and turning to Limewire/Kazaa/Frostwire/Bittorrent?

Weigh your options before you torrent/download illegally.

Aren't you glad that the Android as an ecosystem is basically Open Source? :)

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