Well the day after WorldWide Blackouts of Wikipedia, and Twitter comments from Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, as well as Search Giant Google supporting the Blackout with it’s own LOGO Blackened. The world watches to see how the United States will craft legislation aimed at reducing piracy.Opponents to the SOPA and PIPA legislation, say it would stifle Internet creativity, in my opinion it would and does. It has BIG MONEY’s interest at heart, not the freedom and liberty of the Average American. Let’s face it, both bills are just FLAWED when it comes to basic American Rights.
Those outside the US have been watching, the on going debate because if they laws pass it would give the US more legal means to file suits against those abroad. Which would in turn affect their court systems as well.
Peter Bradwell, a campaigner with the Open Rights Group, told the BBC: “It’s explicit that [Sopa advocates] want to tackle foreign websites.
“We’re concerned about the jurisdiction that gives over the kind of things you or I do on the internet in the UK – and the power that gives US copyright holders over the things that we do here.”
In Canada, the Montreal Gazette quoted Michael Geist, a University of Ottawa law professor and copyright expert as saying, “The goal, in many ways, of SOPA is to reach beyond the borders of the United States.”
He went on to say the the laws would turn big media companies into the Judges and Juries of what is allowed to be shared. No only in the United States but by everyone in the World. Canadian and Worldwide websites would be very much affected by this legislation.
These flawed laws are being closely monitored around the world. More legitimate debate must be had on these and putting big corporate interests above the common man isn’t right or fair anywhere in the world. So as the world watches on we in the United States continue the debate and protest on this subject.
I’m sure this won’t be the last post I’ll be making on this subject either.
Sources: BBC News, Montreal Gazette