Wednesday Morning – Dark Spots Online
What is SOPA / PIP ? you will be asking today. As you travel around the worldwideweb today you will come across some protest banners as well as a few outright blackouts on some or your favorite websites. Most prominently, Wikipedia and Reddit are going the full blackout route while Google Search is running a modified banner that calls attention to the attempt by the U. S. Congress to impose unheard-of restrictions on websites.
Naturally, I have been following the dispute for several weeks now because if the two bills now working their way through the House of Representatives and the Senate were to pass, almost all blogs such as this one will have to shut down out of necessity, not just the major information websites including YouTube, eBay and Yahoo!, all of whom are actively lobbying against these bills.
Wikipedia is in full blackout mode. No researching today.
So what are these proposals that are scaring the pants off the major internet giants? It's complicated (as all bills are these days in a corrupt Congress) and I have difficulty myself trying to explain it. Basically they are proposals sponsored by the movie and recording industries that are seeking ways to shutdown foreign websites that deal in pirated dvd's and musical recordings. These offshore criminal ventures that are mostly based in Asia and Russia are costing American businesses billions of dollars annually by peddling stolen, copyrighted material. Nobody is complaining about the outward purpose of the legislation, so what's the beef?
The main objection is to enforcement procedures that will require the major websites like Google Search and eBay to monitor and takedown search results that go to designated pirate websites. It is an almost-impossible task in itself, but there is a kicker that even affects lowly websites and blogs such as Firegeezer. The bills not only provide that copyright holders can legally charge Google for running a rogue website in their search engine, but even a third-party can enter a complaint, without a shred of evidence, against a website even if they have no financial or proprietary interest in the transaction. That means any Joe Shmoe can file a complaint against anybody, which would certainly lead to a lot of malicious activity. Originally the bills called for suspension of the website's domain name, again without any evidence or despite the best efforts of the website to comply. In the last week, amid the unprecedented flurry of complaints to the Representatives, the domain suspension has been taken out. But as long as the bills are still being considered, that kind of crap is usually dropped back in later. Once a congressman is bought, he usually stays bought.
Google remains operational today, but visitors
are greeted with this message.
How does that affect Firegeezer (and other blogs)? Take for example our practice of posting news clips and informational videos from YouTube. Somebody who has no affiliation with the producer or the copyright holder could stick his nose into the affair and file a complaint. Presto! Gone. That's a very simplified explanation, but I hope it gives you an understanding of what the threat is within these bills.
Over the past few months, the web industry leaders have been actively addressing the flaws to the Congress and since October a grassroots response from bloggers has been launched with some good effect on the House of Representatives. A major domain registry website, GoDaddy broke ranks and publicly supported SOPA and within three days, more than 50,000 customers transferred their domains to other locations. And that is not a simple procedure, believe me. Before the week was out, GoDaddy caved and reversed their position, but nobody takes their word seriously anymore and not only are they still losing paying customers, but growth of new sales has stalled.
As a result of the massive public outcry, both bills have been taken off the original debate schedule in order to be reworked. It's a start, but close watch of the sneaky politicians will be necessary. I hope this gives you a basic picture of the potential problem these proposed laws would create. And not being a lawyer myself, I cannot fully explain the details that have Google's and Yahoo!'s high-dollar legal teams working at full speed. But I trust them before I would trust the movie and recording industries.
Now we need to get this equipment checked out, so let's get started while I go make some more coffee. See you back in the day room (while it's still legal).
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