Websites protest against SOPA
English-language websites including our friends Rock, Paper, Shotgun and a site we definitely never look at called “Wikipedia” will be taken offline for one day tomorrow in protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its friend PIPA (the PROTECT IP Act). SOPA is designed to allow movie companies, music labels and video game makers to actively protect their creations from piracy online. However, opponents have argued that it goes too far, allowing courts to issue orders more or less banning any websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement – by removing them from internet search results and instructing ISPs and payment companies like Paypal to bar access to them – without hearing or defence. The bill would also make unauthorised streaming of copyrighted material a crime punishable by jail time. Read more…
