Several sites across the internet shut down on January 18, in disagreement to SOPA/PIPA potential copyright regulations. In a move to cut down on excessive pirating, any new US legislation could in fact change the web as we know it. The websites protesting were urging visitors to contact their representatives for fear of internet censorship.
The blackout seemed to have raised enough awareness, at least temporarily. In New Zealand, a large file sharing site with some 50 million hits daily was shut down by authorities, and now the court battles will ensue.
As a creative, I am a believer in intellectual rights. It would be great if everyone had their own great ideas, but imitation in some form will always happen. Remember the guy selling $10 Rolex watches? Bootlegs were around years ago, way before the web. The internet just made markets more accessible and profitable. One of the great things about the internet, is the sharing. There is a lot of grey area here. Once piece of legislation is not going to please everyone. Especially with the world on the net and different copyright laws between countries, I would think any agreement is many years down the road. In going after online piracy, several sites and companies are predicting unpleasant repercussions. It’s too bad there’s no silver bullet. Legislation is bound happen, hopefully with baby steps. Please proceed with caution.
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