S.o.p.a ot

I don't know if many of you are aware, but there's a law trying to be passed at the moment called S.O.P.A (Stop Online Piracy Act).

I'm not going to go into detail about it, but basically, all unauthorized uploading of copyrighted material on the internet will be banned, and if you try to upload it, you could spend up to 5 years in prison.

So this means for example, all those people that have made Newcastle United montages from clips that are owned by the premier league, their videos will be removed. Either that or they will be removed because people have used songs in their videos, that are copyrighted.

We will no longer be able to watch football matches on those website streams anymore, as it is technically unauthorized streaming of copyrighted material.

No one can upload music on youtube. This is basically how I found out about loads of bands. I searched for them on youtube.

I think Artists don't realize that when this law is passed, yes "wrongful" viewing and downloading of their music will stop, but their work will also get a lot less attention. It seems bigger bands would rather get less views and less fans, but more money....

Loads of smaller bands have had help from fans on youtube uploading their music.

This also means no more torrents, and we'll actually have to pay for albums twice if we want the CD and the MP3.

I'm against people that copy movies and music on to CD's and sell them for their own profit, but sending someone to jail for 5 years for sharing music with other people is a bit extreme.

Lets pray to god that this law isn't passed, because the internet will basically be ****ed when it happens.

 

Pretty big article about this a while ago, dont know if anyone can dig it up.

 

Apologies, I didn't know.

 

It's fine, was a week or two ago. Just meant if someone bumped it it would save everyone the bother of repeating themselves.

 

That would be pathetic...

 

Mightn't be seeing Tash for 5 years then?

 

*ring ring**ring ring**ring ring*
Tash:Hello
Old News: Hi. This is last week...

 

Good news is that after the recent protests a few senators actually switched sides

 

This would ruin my life, I couldn't cope with out watching pretty much every Newcastle game and I can't get to many games a year!

 

!

 

Only because they think the law needs further clarification. They aren't opposed to the actual law itself; just the way it can be implemented and enforced.

 

The copyright laws are ridiculous already. Now you can't upload clips that you've recorded at the game.

Some of them get left I think because there's so many of them, but I recorded clips on my camera at the match and they got deleted for copyright... -.-

 

There was quite a dramatic turnaround though, didnt someone say you only need 32 of them to oppose it for it not to go through?

 

Something needs to be done about online piracy, it can ruin perfectly legitimate business' but this is like sending in the SAS to stop the school bully who steals your lunch money

 

Yep. It needed 32 but at the time of the 'black out' there were only 2 opposed.

As I said before, those who are now 'against it' are just 'against it' in its current form because it needs to be clarified better to enforce it.

 

Not sure American voting in the two chambers can be complicated. They don't use the 50%+1 we use, depends if they need a super majority or normal majority for it too pass.

 

Interesting. The gist is that the (American) TV and film companies are pressuring the government to pass the law, but the online companies who would be affected (Google, youtube etc) have quite a bit of power as well?

 

A lot of gaming companies don't want it too pass either. The amount of free advertising they get on youtube etc is unreal.

 

its already been shelved

 

eh?