We Should Have Fought For SOPA and PIPA!
The 112th Congress postponed the highly controversial bill of H.R.3261, also known as the Stop Online Piracy Act, along with the Protect Intellectual Property Act due to voluminous objections from internet giants like Google, Wikipedia, Reddit, and CraigsList (1). But why? Peer pressure? lobby pressure? Or monetary pressure?
The gist of the proposed laws is to stop the proliferation of piracy on the internet and to regulate media companies. Of course, all those who have monkey business on the side wouldn’t like the idea, since it’s very clear that with the bill they won’t enjoy anymore the same liberty being so free to steal intellectual properties and infringing copyrights.
Their biggest argument (lousy alibi) is that NO MATTER HOW THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA excerts its best efforts to eradicate piracy on the internet, in reality PIRACY at WORLD WIDE WEB is INEVITABLE. Because the top notch culprits aren’t in America at all, like the Pirate Bay and MegaUpload.
That may be true, but my argument is plain and simple: PIRACY IS STEALING! STEALING IS A CRIME! WE SHOULD NOT TOLERATE CRIME! WE SHOULD NEVER TOLERATE CRIME! With that being said, it’s just but rational that we should do something on our end. Regardless if the ”pirates” are from foreign companies or organizations, bottomline, they can’t mess up here! They can do all their mess elsewhere, but not here!
Do you have an idea how many Americans lose jobs in the media and entertainment industries because of piracy? And do you have an idea how much does Hollywood film companies contribute to our economy? HUMONGOUS! Therefore, we should have all supported these bills.
And we should have supported and commended the PRO legislators for coming up with such remarkable legislation, and we should have not let it die. America is the strongest nation in the world, and in reality almost all countries, and all nations (except for the communist ones) follow what Uncle Sam is doing. So we should have really push through with it. It’s for the common good, why oppose.
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For me, the worst thing a man could do is to chicken out or trade his principles in life; his beliefs and his passions, over any amount of money. And I hope those lawmakers, especially the two ones who sponsored the bills, and just turned their backs just like that, I hope they didn’t made that cowardly decisions over some cash. I can accept if they lose their b_lls, that’s fine, but in exchange of money, THAT IS TOTALLY DISGUSTING!
But I hope that isn’t the case. But, we STILL should demand explanations from those Congressmen:
1.Why did Representative Benjamin Quayle of Arizona withdrawn as co-sponsor?
2. Why did Representative Lee Terry of Nebraska withdrawn as co-sponsor too?
3. Why did Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, the author of the bill himself set aside the bill? Unbelievable!
Was it because of critics and strong opposition to the bill? I really feel so bad, for it looks like, THE BAD WON AGAINST THE GOOD.
Nonetheless, we should have supported H.R. 3261! For we should really fight piracy! For the “pirates” can go to the Carribbean, but we should not allow them here in America! We should support SOPA and PIPA!
AND IN PROTEST OF ITS SEEMINGLY UNEXPLAINED “CLINICAL DEATH”, H.R. 3261′s summary is listed below (Courtesy of The Library of Congress). The Bill states as follows:
Bill Summary & Status
112th Congress (2011 – 2012)
H.R.3261
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H.R.3261
Latest Title: Stop Online Piracy Act
Sponsor: Rep Smith, Lamar [TX-21] (introduced 10/26/2011) Cosponsors (23)
Related Bills: S.968, S.1228
Latest Major Action: 12/16/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Jump to: Summary, Major Actions, All Actions, Titles, Cosponsors, Committees, Related Bill Details, Amendments
SUMMARY AS OF:
10/26/2011–Introduced.
Stop Online Piracy Act – Authorizes the Attorney General (AG) to seek a court order against a U.S.-directed foreign Internet site committing or facilitating online piracy to require the owner, operator, or domain name registrant, or the site or domain name itself if such persons are unable to be found, to cease and desist further activities constituting specified intellectual property offenses under the federal criminal code including criminal copyright infringement, unauthorized fixation and trafficking of sound recordings or videos of live musical performances, the recording of exhibited motion pictures, or trafficking in counterfeit labels, goods, or services.
Sets forth an additional two-step process that allows an intellectual property right holder harmed by a U.S.-directed site dedicated to infringement, or a site promoted or used for infringement under certain circumstances, to first provide a written notification identifying the site to related payment network providers and Internet advertising services requiring such entities to forward the notification and suspend their services to such an identified site unless the site’s owner, operator, or domain name registrant, upon receiving the forwarded notification, provides a counter notification explaining that it is not dedicated to engaging in specified violations. Authorizes the right holder to then commence an action for limited injunctive relief against the owner, operator, or domain name registrant, or against the site or domain name itself if such persons are unable to be found, if: (1) such a counter notification is provided (and, if it is a foreign site, includes consent to U.S. jurisdiction to adjudicate whether the site is dedicated to such violations), or (2) a payment network provider or Internet advertising service fails to suspend its services in the absence of such a counter notification.
Requires online service providers, Internet search engines, payment network providers, and Internet advertising services, upon receiving a copy of a court order relating to an AG action, to carry out certain preventative measures including withholding services from an infringing site or preventing users located in the United States from accessing the infringing site. Requires payment network providers and Internet advertising services, upon receiving a copy of such an order relating to a right holder’s action, to carry out similar preventative measures.
Provides immunity from liability for service providers, payment network providers, Internet advertising services, advertisers, Internet search engines, domain name registries, or domain name registrars that take actions required by this Act or otherwise voluntarily block access to or end financial affiliation with such sites.
Permits such entities to stop or refuse services to certain sites that endanger public health by distributing prescription medication that is adulterated, misbranded, or without a valid prescription.
Expands the offense of criminal copyright infringement to include public performances of: (1) copyrighted work by digital transmission, and (2) work intended for commercial dissemination by making it available on a computer network. Expands the criminal offenses of trafficking in inherently dangerous goods or services to include: (1) counterfeit drugs; and (2) goods or services falsely identified as meeting military standards or intended for use in a national security, law enforcement, or critical infrastructure application.
Increases the penalties for: (1) specified trade secret offenses intended to benefit a foreign government, instrumentality, or agent; and (2) various other intellectual property offenses as amended by this Act.
Directs the U.S. Sentencing Commission to review, and if appropriate, amend related Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Requires the Secretary of State and Secretary of Commerce to appoint at least one intellectual property attache to be assigned to the U.S. embassy or diplomatic mission in a country in each geographic region covered by a Department of State regional bureau.
***NONE***
- 10/26/2011:
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- 11/2/2011:
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet.
- 11/16/2011:
- Committee Hearings Held.
- 12/14/2011:
- Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet Discharged.
- 12/15/2011:
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- 12/16/2011:
- Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
TITLE(S): (italics indicate a title for a portion of a bill)
- POPULAR TITLE(S):
SOPA (identified by CRS) - SHORT TITLE(S) AS INTRODUCED:
Stop Online Piracy Act - OFFICIAL TITLE AS INTRODUCED:
To promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S. property, and for other purposes.
COSPONSORS(23), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date)
Rep Amodei, Mark E. [NV-2] – 11/3/2011
Rep Baca, Joe [CA-43] – 12/7/2011
Rep Barrow, John [GA-12] – 11/14/2011
Rep Bass, Karen [CA-33] – 11/3/2011
Rep Berman, Howard L. [CA-28] – 10/26/2011
Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] – 10/26/2011
Rep Bono Mack, Mary [CA-45] – 10/26/2011
Rep Chabot, Steve [OH-1] – 10/26/2011
Rep Chu, Judy [CA-32] – 11/30/2011
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] – 10/26/2011
Rep Cooper, Jim [TN-5] – 12/12/2011
Rep Deutch, Theodore E. [FL-19] – 10/26/2011
Rep Gallegly, Elton [CA-24] – 10/26/2011
Rep Goodlatte, Bob [VA-6] – 10/26/2011
Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] – 11/3/2011
Rep Larson, John B. [CT-1] – 11/30/2011
Rep Marino, Tom [PA-10] – 11/3/2011
Rep Nunnelee, Alan [MS-1] – 11/3/2011
Rep Owens, William L. [NY-23] – 11/14/2011
Rep Schiff, Adam B. [CA-29] – 10/26/2011
Rep Sherman, Brad [CA-27] – 12/7/2011
Rep Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] – 11/3/2011
Rep Watt, Melvin L. [NC-12] – 11/3/2011
Rep Griffin, Tim [AR-2] – 10/26/2011(withdrawn – 1/23/2012)
Rep Ross, Dennis [FL-12] – 10/26/2011(withdrawn – 1/23/2012)
Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] – 10/26/2011(withdrawn – 1/18/2012)
Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31] – 11/3/2011(withdrawn – 1/24/2012)
Rep Scalise, Steve [LA-1] – 11/14/2011(withdrawn – 1/23/2012)
Rep Lujan, Ben Ray [NM-3] – 11/14/2011(withdrawn – 1/23/2012)
Rep Holden, Tim [PA-17] – 11/30/2011(withdrawn – 1/18/2012)
Rep Quayle, Benjamin [AZ-3] – 12/13/2011(withdrawn – 1/17/2012)
| Committee/Subcommittee: | Activity: | |
| House Judiciary | Referral, Hearings, Markup, In Committee | |
| Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet | Referral, Discharged | |
RELATED BILL DETAILS: (additional related bills may be indentified in Status)
| Bill: | Relationship: |
| S.968 | Related bill identified by CRS |
| S.1228 | Related bill identified by CRS |
***NONE***
