Today, the 18th of January is the day to let it be known that you oppose two bills currently before the United States Congress.
These bills, PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) and SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) have the noble goal of attempting to eliminate the theft of copyright. They propose to do this however, in a manner which will fundamentally break the internet. Imagine a world where Youtube was banned, Minecraft was stopped because a fan made a character out of blocks which loosely resembles a movie star, or ModDB.com closed because someone from the community posted something inappropriate.
These threats are real, and today we call upon our audience to make themselves heard and let members of the Senate and the House know that while we must all work together to stop piracy, eliminating our freedom of speech on the internet is not the solution.
Actions speak louder than words so please:
- Sign the Google petition.
- Educate yourself about how SOPA and PIPA work.
- Print and mail letters to your state's senators and representatives, urging them not to support this. Physical mail is harder to ignore than email. It piles up. You can find representatives' addresses here and senators' addresses here. Remember that PIPA is a Senate bill and SOPA is a House of Representatives bill.
- Call your senators and representatives on the phone and urge them not to support the bills. See above links for phone numbers or click here to get a quick list of representatives based on where you live.
Finally, to all of the sites which have taken the extremely bold move of blacking out today - we salute you.
Thanks to Explosm for the graphics used.
Amen
This has worldwide implications so much love from the UK
I support SOPA.
Just joking.
Let us hope they don't come to be. Stupid SOPA and PIPA.
This is all of Dellfist's fault.
I hate governments. On another note, finally, Google does something good. Petitions don't normally change anything but I hope that this one does.
it's just a hunt for control, if they are able to block sites for "piracy"
they can also shut down sites with sensitive info's about america, just like it is nowadays in china.
They just want to seize control of the internet.
sopa and pipa is just being used as some kind off cover!
I doubt people won't stand up if the SOPA and PIPA passes. Take Anonymous, for example. They've already hacked their way into CIA's website, what do you think they'll do if SOPA passes?
Anonymous took down the homepage, that's like throwing a brick through a white house window. They will fix it in a bit and you probably didn't hit anything important (even though it looks important.)
Of course it won't. But still it is a way to show that we aren't unprovided of resources either.
I'll slap there face's for being this stupid
Quoting "Iliketosayfukalot " from youtube.
Today, the internet almost sums up to Yahoo, Google, Facebook, Youtube, ect. This act is against the piracy, and we know it, but the thing is, Hollywood is not even near deficit. The Twilight saga made millions and they dare say piracy will ruin them. Think about it. What if Google said : When someone googles "Twilight", we will make sure no result come up. What if Youtube said : Hey, I can't show any of your trailers ! SOPA/PIPA forbids me to.
This is the summary. If you would like to see the video, it's here : Youtube.com
I take no credits for this.
they need to stop piracy and **** but not this way :/ it wont fix anything....
If google wanted to make an impact they would have disabled youtube, gmail, and google search and redirected to an explanation page. They really didn't bring their sites down.
They did **** all because they care about money too much.
Well one thing is sure,if SOPA takes effect it will start the rise of digital terrorism to bring back the freedom that belongs to us.Every govrement involved in this will be on the hit by hackers from all over the world so it is better for them to drop it or they will be droped.
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Stop being so dramatic, It's probably not some conspiracy. It won't be the end of internet. SOPA is supposed to stop piracy not shut down sites mindlessly. You shouldn't fight to stop SOPA but to change it so it can't be abused. Youtube won't be shut down, It makes companies money. And moddb probably won't either.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cp4hWcz762k&feature=g-u-u&context=G2952231FUAAAAAAAAAA
Please watch this to see what i'm trying to say.
Dude are you retarded? due to SOPA and PIPA's description (if passed) will without a doubt, completely obliterate a large majority of websites including ones we know and love. That video link you sent doesnt help you either... The man in the video specifically explains that people are overreacting over the websites that have VOLUNTARILY shut down to PROTEST against PIPA and SOPA. Everybody (weather its people like us, or large websites like google or youtube) seems to know what consequences we are in for, except you...
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What I was referring to in the video was the part at the middle/end. I think people should fight the part of SOPA they can actually change. It's not going away, so you should fight to change SOPA so it can work properly. SOPA can be good as long as it isn't abused. I don't think youtube/google will be shut down because of the money. These companies that don't support SOPA are only doing so to keep "customers". All of this is essentially what the video says.(past the blackout stuff)
theres nothing to change, but theres definitely something to stop, btw have you managed to read what there capable of?
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What if they changed the bill so they can't do all these things people are afraid of? That would still not good enough for you?
not for me
(buried)
Your a fool
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No i'm rational
And did you even consider the fact that the government might just as well take steps even further is SOPA/PIPA passes?
(buried)
That is why the bill should be changed not stopped, so they can't take it too far. Choose the battle you can win.
actually, we are fighting the part we can win, its just very difficult.
If everybody was "for" SOPA then it would have already taken affect,
but it hasnt, because people like us around the world wont let it!
SOPA has been delayed, and to me thats a battle half won.
(buried)
I don't think it's going to be stopped.
So you're saying we should give up before the fight even starts, is that it?
(buried)
No, I'm saying that SOPA wouldn't be so bad if it were made so it couldn't be abused or be so powerful as it might be/is. Also we would have a better change to change SOPA than we would to stop it completely.
You do know that people like us have no voice in the congress as much as you think, do you?
Talk to your congressmen (or whoever you can) , protest, do whatever. The government isn't going to listen to bunch of angry people on the internet. Do it properly, calmly and don't rely on Anonymous, shutting down government sites/systems like the "The Department of Defense" does not help anyone.
then it wouldn't be SOPA/PIPA anymore, it would be a new bill entirely
Exactly.
Well I don't think you have the right attitude about picking the battle you can win, but I agree that people are blowing this way out of proportion. This topic is everything I hate about the internet, with the exception of cats. Conspiracy theories that make no god damned sense and people trying to link everything to somalia/nazi germany/soviet russia... Everyone seems to think that because they heard somewhere that the government did something wrong sometime then it gives them the right to disband all governments. You know where we'd be without government? Up to our necks in horseshit. Everyone is not out to get you, as important as that makes you feel, and I know this will get buried in just a few hours, but to those that have made it this far, Kudos.
To all haters, think before you thumb this down or at least think before you type your misinformed response.
Good day.
We're already up to our necks in it. Just because western governments don't kill their citizens doesn't mean that they are good.
it will
im sure many of us will support such acts
but lets hope it doesnt come to that
here in spain is like this:
SOPA = soup
PIPA = pipe
maybe they need to eat some soup and smoke some pipe
"You want to stop internet's piracy ?
So you simply stop legal internet...
As it, only remain the thing that you have wanted to stop..."
Governments can sometime be so logic... (this sentence is purely ironic)
I don't live in USA, but be sure that I support you guys !
Occidentals Governments need to remember that democracy mean listen people and allow them to communicate freely !
Good luck...
I think they already smoked pipe when makeing this bill
USA is transforming slowly, but for shure, intro THE SOVIET RUSSIA!
And also......Romania has a similar law project too!
This shows us how pathetic the US goverment is.
I must agree, it will probably be UASR.
-United American Socialist Republics
but in soviet Russia sopa blocks you!
impossible...
Well 'pipa' means 'p*ssy' in polish.
Just saying.
In the Greek language PIPA translates to *******.
Haha take that government!!
Confirmed.
SOPA means "garbage" in swedish. So suiting :)
And PIPA means "pipe", lol.
READ:
Forbes.com
sopa NOT gonna happen (for now)!!!
not because of petitions but the big ones protesting..
Let's just kill em' all...
i agree. leaving it to the politicians will only get all of us screwed. if this thing does manage to pass, they have all of our names on a list as potential threats to national security or some other type of ******** excuse they may come up with. if PIPA passes it will be the end of home-made vids and mods as we know it. not to mention that no one will ever be able to come out with their own song ever again, as someone higher up might shout down that it was stolen from them, and we wont be able to do **** about it. this is just another power grab made by fat hogs and pigs in congress and the house of reps, where no matter how much is given to them, they just want more and more and more. ending the argument and simply denying congress or the house the right to do this is the only way to go. sure petitions could work, but petitions have been ignored before on dozens of occasions and with these ******** in power, we are pretty much perpetually screwed as is. however, they simply cannot ignore the voice of close to the entire population of this country standing up against this. if they ever tried to deny the people the right to stop this, then this country would have to change its name afterwards because america, land of the free just wouldn't sit right anymore.
They're afraid of something... But what?
the first censurated important website : megaupload
whats next?
Im from germany so it doesnt touch me directly - but still, i must say this is an act you my dear friends from the USA should not take place - not now, not today, not tomorrow, NEVER!
I see the chain reaction coming, and I dont like that thought, because, what will happen after SOPA/PIPA? ofc other countries will follow the US line and the freedom of the internet will be endangered like the white shark and one day dead like the dodo - stop SOPA - stop PIPA.
Luckily, Anonymous took care of Polish government already, hope that will scare them... WE DON'T WANT ACTA!