SOPA/Protect IP

Stop Online Piracy Act is a bill introduced into U.S. House of Representatives.  It's purpose would be to allow court orders by copyright holders and the US Department of Justice against websites websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement.  This may allow the barring of online advertising networks from doing business with the website and stop search engines from linking to the sites.  The bill would also make make unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content a crime punishable with up to five years in prison for up to 10 pieces of music/movies within 6 months.

PROTECT IP (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft to Intellectual Property) Act is a bill that will be discussed along with SOPA.  It will provide for the enhanced enforcement against copyright infringing websites overseas.  Search engines would be ordered to remove or disable the access to the infringing site, and advertising services would be ordered to stop its transactions with the website.

So what this basically means is that any website streaming copyrighted material would be shut down.  THIS WOULD INCLUDE METAL MUSIC ARCHIVES AND PROG ARCHIVES!  This is a very dangerous bill.  It was originally going to be voted on on December 15th, but was postponed.  Congress comes back into session January 17th, and these two bills will be discussed then.

If you think you're outside the blast radius because you live outside the United States, think again.  A large portion of the internet is controlled by companies based within the U.S.  You're not totally helpless however.  There are several online petitions that can be sign by anyone opposed to the bill.  Those that live inside the United States can write to their Representative and ask them to vote down on the bill.  A helpful website for that is this one: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/12/29/1049815/-Internet-giants-seriously-considering-nuclear-option-to-stop-SOPA?detail=hide Link is near the bottom of the article.