![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
By now I'm sure most people have heard about SOPA/Protect IP Act, but if you have not, here's some information.
SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act; HR 3261) and the Protect IP Act (the Senate version, which was cleared by committee earlier this year) are bills that ostensibly protect intellectual property, but would introduce measures that would, among other things, allow:
-The attorney general to create blacklists to block websites from search engines and payment providers (such as Paypal) without the need of a court hearing or trial;
-Private companies to sue websites for hosting copyrighted copyright, even if said website is unaware of the content. Currently, websites and service providers are safe from litigation if they remove copyrighted content as soon as it is brought to the site's attention;
-For sites/service providers to be held accountable for individual user abuses.
Save the Internet provides an easy-to-fill form if you would like to show your disapproval of SOPA/Protect IP.
If you would like to contact your representatives directly, you can find your House of Representatives member here, and your Senate representative here.
Please consider writing a personal letter or even calling your representatives about your concerns. Although it may seem unnecessary, taking the time to send a well-worded letter instead of signing a petition can carry a lot of clout because personalized messages are not sent very often, and it indicates that you are strongly invested in the issues at hand. Make sure your Congressional representatives know that you'll remember their votes come election time!
SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act; HR 3261) and the Protect IP Act (the Senate version, which was cleared by committee earlier this year) are bills that ostensibly protect intellectual property, but would introduce measures that would, among other things, allow:
-The attorney general to create blacklists to block websites from search engines and payment providers (such as Paypal) without the need of a court hearing or trial;
-Private companies to sue websites for hosting copyrighted copyright, even if said website is unaware of the content. Currently, websites and service providers are safe from litigation if they remove copyrighted content as soon as it is brought to the site's attention;
-For sites/service providers to be held accountable for individual user abuses.
Save the Internet provides an easy-to-fill form if you would like to show your disapproval of SOPA/Protect IP.
If you would like to contact your representatives directly, you can find your House of Representatives member here, and your Senate representative here.
Please consider writing a personal letter or even calling your representatives about your concerns. Although it may seem unnecessary, taking the time to send a well-worded letter instead of signing a petition can carry a lot of clout because personalized messages are not sent very often, and it indicates that you are strongly invested in the issues at hand. Make sure your Congressional representatives know that you'll remember their votes come election time!
