SOPA/PIPA Indefinitely Shelved After Massive Protest

[Platapus]

Why would Wikipedia be taken down? They have a pretty good system to ensure that copyrighted material is properly cited or a fair use statement is published.

[vienna]

Why would Wikipedia be taken down? They have a pretty good system to ensure that copyrighted material is properly cited or a fair use statement is published.

When you have a situation in which due process is ignored and the the accused is forced to prove their innocence rather than the accuser(s) prove their guilt, there will always be dangers. Imagine a situation where some individual with clout, say a media mogul, or some government agency takes umbrage at something posted on Wikipedeia, even if the posting is a true statement of facts. The person or agency could fish about on Wikipedia for some copyrighted bitthey 'own' posted on Wiki and, under SOPA/PIPA file a complaint. The wheels would be set in motion to implement all of the sanctions allowed under the laws and the website would be shut down and, possibly, the Wiki principals (and, perhaps, those individuals who contributed to the offense). Punitive actions would take place before there is even a trial or proof of legal guilt. If there is a trial, the onus would fall on the accused to prove their innocence rather than the state prove guilt (somewhat in the fashion of federal tax matters). A trial and the processes entailed could drag on for years, particulary if the one making the accusation is a private entity with an army of lawyers. If the accused is found not to have breached the law, the damage is already done, financially and in terms of reputation, etc. It all becomes, for the accuser, just a case of "Oops, my bad"...

[Sailor Steve]

Originally Posted by Dowly

Could this be a proof of intelligent life in the US Congress?

No, only that it's still possible for the individual to make a difference.

My feelings on this were mixed, but the deciding factor for me is that it's the Entertainment Industry that's behind it, and they (the music part anyway) is responsible for screwing artists out of more money than downloading ever will. They're upset that individuals are doing to them what they've done to musicians for decades. The 500-gallon pot is in this case calling the 1-cup kettle black.

[Platapus]

I still like the idea behind SOPA but did not like the current wording. I hope congress can fix the wording. In bills such as this, the devil is in the details.

[Hinrich Schwab]

Originally Posted by Sailor Steve

... but the deciding factor for me is that it's the Entertainment Industry that's behind it, and they (the music part anyway) is responsible for screwing artists out of more money than downloading ever will. They're upset that individuals are doing to them what they've done to musicians for decades. The 500-gallon pot is in this case calling the 1-cup kettle black.

Agreed. It is all about money and profit. It is not about combating actual piracy as it is the Entertainment Industry using the American Government as a brute squad to collect lost revenue. Given recent events, I suspect the entire SOPA/PIPA bill was just legal smoke and mirrors for the sole purpose of shutting down Megaupload. Given the date of the indictment and the time it can take to get paperwork, the architects of SOPA apparently expected this to pass with little trouble or problems. The move against Megaupload was going to happen. However, the Entertainment Industry did not expect the backlash to keep the bill from becoming law and made the raid ill-timed. The reaction to that from the internet was obvious.