Put the SOPA on a ROPA

Folks, this week, the House of Representatives is set to vote on SOPA: The Stop Internet Piracy Act. It seems to punish thousands of sites for the crime of one site. Should it pass, kiss Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc goodbye.

SOPA is a bill that would empower law enforcement to shut down any site that hosts pirated content. Under current law, the sites only have to remove the offending content. Opponents, whose activism went viral with the catchy phrase “Don’t break the Internet,” argue that the bill could kill some of the most popular sites on the Web. Google has been one of the most outspoken critics of the bill. In an interview with The Hill, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said the bill would “criminalize linking and the fundamental structure of the Internet itself.”

On Tuesday, Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) introduced a manager’s amendment that addresses some but not all of these concerns, The Post’s Hayley Tsukayama writes: “The proposed changes include: clarifying that the bill is aimed at foreign Web sites, nixing language that would have required redirection from rogue sites, clarifying that service providers don’t need to block subdomains and narrowing the definitions of some key terms in the bill to focus on bad actors.”

Still, the “Geek Lobby,” as they’ve been called, are wary of the impact that SOPA will have on the Internet’s freedom — and the impact it could have on their jobs. That’s why they’re posting their photos, names and job titles on I Work For the Internet, a visual petition designed to put a face to the people that SOPA could harm. Contributors have expected titles — systems administrator, entrepreneur, software engineer — and some uncommon ones, like “digital performer,” theoretical physicist, and musician (SOPA could have a big impact on artists).

So now you're thinking "What can I do other that sitting on my ass and worry?" Well folks, here's your answer. Go to American Censorship so you can contact your representative and tell him to oppose the SOPA bill.

We will resume our normal talking about Shigeru Miyamoto's retirement later this week.

Works Cited: Washington Post