By Dara Pollak
I had to jump in here and say something, because if either of these bills pass, sites like mine (and many more much larger ones) will be privy to the censorship of the US Government. If you haven't heard or read about the SOPA or PIPA acts yet, click here and watch the video. Because if you're reading this, chances are you will agree that it's a load of bullshit.
To give you a brief rundown of these acts: the US Government will have the ability to shut down, sue, or even send people to jail for infringing ONE link or ONE piece of copyrighted material on their blog or website. Big corporations may cut off funding sources to infringing websites by having US-based advertisers cancel their accounts, PIPA can sue US-based search engines, blogs and forums to have links removed, and some sites may even be blacklisted, meaning they won't show up in search engines. If passed, these acts can cripple startup companies as well (who rely on a lot of social media tactics), simply if the Government feels that they aren't filtering their content well enough. Social media websites like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook can look like piracy magnets and will be open for censorship and abuse; and since they will be tampering with DNS (Domain Name Systems) and security, the internet will become less safe and less reliable at the same time. Users can be sent to jail for years simply for using a video clip or copyrighted song in their blog or website. The “Solution” is about as bad, if not worse, than the “Problem”.
The vast database where you can find practically anything, speak your mind, and share content is being attacked and for what? Because someone used a Lady Gaga song in the background of one of their YouTube videos? The scary thing is, some folks would say yes, that makes sense. And thus begins the breakdown of one of the greatest forms of technology ever created: the internet. I can sum this up in two words: THIS BLOWS. Not very poignant, but the truth.
This is especially a problem for small sites (like mine) who don't have the ability/money to defend themselves. I'm all for trying to stop piracy of copyrighted material, but where is the line? The Government is tampering with the internet so people will put even MORE money into Hollywood entertainment. #REALLY? Believe me if I had the opportunity to take back some of the money I've spent on the CRAP that Hollywood puts out there these days, I would. Example. Fast Five in the movie theater: $12. Honey Badger or Shit Girls Say on YouTube: $0. Yea that about sums it up. Seriously I'm not even kidding.
If you want to help and try to put a stop to this, click here and sign the online petition. I know I did.
Read more posts by Dara Pollak at her food blog, The Skinny Pig.
