Acknowledging Blackout, Politicians Ditch SOPA

[AlexWinter]

So... we win?

I feel like this is just a minor setback for judgement day though.

They will either introduce it in smaller bills or use bigger bribes next time.

 

[Beryl77]

Didn't think it would have such an impact that quickly.
Imagine if sites like google, youtube and facebook had done this but we'll keep those guns for later when we'll need them.

 

[Jake0fTrades]

Threaten to stop voting, hit them wear it hurts.

 

[Roxor]

Next time someone tries to pass this kind of crap, the major web sites should IP address block the entire country which is trying to implement censorship, and refuse to revoke the block unless they pass legislation banning ALL forms of censorship so nobody tries it again.

 

[Aeonknight]

I found this image, and thought it to be appropriate. Enjoy.

Spoiler

 

[ThunderCavalier]

Oh man, if the MPAA was furious earlier about the blackouts, imagine how furious they are now.

MPAA Representative: Dammit. How else will we get people to pay top dollar for some of our crap that we know won't sell if people actually learned from the Internet that this stuff actually sucks!

 

[Something Amyss]

How long until it comes back?

 

[Metalrocks]

thats what i was thinking. even when im not religious.


but i am also afraid thats not the last thing we will hear from SOPA

 

[rickynumber24]

How long until it comes back?

That's what I'm worried about... I'm very heartened to see the results from today, but I won't rest easy until, at the very least, my senators renounce it (I'm from CA, and they both sponsored PIPA), preferably while promising to never try to pass another one. I'm not holding out too much hope for that latter part, though.

 

[Ogargd]

Wow internet activision that doesn't involve Anonymous actually works! What did we need Anonymous for again?

Wow your right I'd completely forgotten about them until you mentioned it, Wiki burst their bubble without giving internet activists a bad name, I can't wait for Anon to say something about it.

OT: Yay, last few days have been completely up and down with news on this but this is great, lets hope it gets completely destroyed soon.

 

[Rule Britannia]

Kind of want to point out that yes SOPA is not cool but because everyone is focusing their hate on SOPA lots of people seem to forget about PIPA, the major difference between the two is that PIPA can't block the DNS of websites 'hosting' the links to the copyrighted content
example:
Bob puts a link up on facebook about a youtube video
PIPA will not block facebook for this but SOPA will.
(If I've not got my facts straight tell me please)

Both Bills need to be eradicated, and excreted out of the anus of the internet.

 

[razer17]

This is such an awesome thumbs up for democracy. I have, on this very site in fact, said in the past that protests very rarely do any good. This is one of the few times it has worked, and it is rarely so important.

 

[KeyMaster45]

Wow internet activision that doesn't involve Anonymous actually works! What did we need Anonymous for again?

Anonymous is that group of kids who run around the neighborhood tp'ing houses and leaving flaming bags of shit on people's door steps. We only call them out when we need to be a minor annoyance and reap many lulz from the ensuing "You damn kids!" press releases from their victims.

 

[Something Amyss]

That's what I'm worried about... I'm very heartened to see the results from today, but I won't rest easy until, at the very least, my senators renounce it (I'm from CA, and they both sponsored PIPA), preferably while promising to never try to pass another one. I'm not holding out too much hope for that latter part, though.

My position's similar. PIPA was authored (or co-authored, can't remember) by Patrick Leahy, D VT. My state will always vote him in because he's got a D next to his name, and because he's one of the biggest recipients of Hollywood money in politics (And who can afford to go up against that in a state this side). And this presents a problem, because he authors a lot of these bills. He was also a sponsor and possible author of the INDUCE act, or "Peer to Peer clients teach kids to do bad things." Not to mention the USA PATRIOT ACT.

One of Leahy's bills (Which may have been the INDUCE act, but Wikipedia's blacked out) was so broad as to technically ban the internet due to its wording.

Leahy will continue to pen, sponsor, and champion these bills because nobody can stop him.

 

[Something Amyss]

Wow internet activision that doesn't involve Anonymous actually works! What did we need Anonymous for again?

Was your interesting spelling of "activism" intentional? XD

 

[Kross]

Why did I picture an Iowa class battleship firing a broadside at capitol hill when I read that? Awesome imagery is awesome...(I love my imagination)

Glorious...

I had never actually seen a top down photo of a large ship firing broadside. Those waves are fantastic.

 

[Thoric485]

Fantastic. It's hilarious how in one of their latest press releases the MPAA accuse the companies participating in the blackout of "turning their users into corporate pawns", being "irresponsible and of disservice", "abusing power and skewing the facts to further corporate interests" and using "gimmicks".

It's like they've taken one of the letters adressed to them and turned it around really. And they claim to be protecting American jobs while pushing a bill that cripples the entire information sector and causes every major site to outsource its hosting? Shit, i live in Eastern Europe and such shameless displays of corruption are a rarity. The house of representatives session was a farce too.

And what's the point of this organization anyway? "Parent awareness" ? Fuck that, it's not the parents who pay them, not the artists either. It's media conglomerates, and so they serve only the interests of media conglomerates. They've turned their right to evaluate movie content into a censorship and now they're trying to dictate the fate of the internet for the entire world.

I hope this starts with opposing SOPA and ends with the disbanding of the MPAA. There won't be a better time.

Also, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" is a great MPAA-slash-private detective documentary i believe would be of interest to a lot of people here. Buy it, pirate it or just watch it here [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIncrMYRUJ0]. Reveals some very interesting stuff.

 

[Akimoto]

Welcome to the internet age, politicians. We've been waiting for you.

That's the Internet's new tagline. Though I doubt SOPA and PIPA are done just yet. Personally I don't mind if they fine tune the laws to prevent abuse of the laws, but what kinda disturbs me is the focus on foreign websites - the military wasn't enough?