In November, tech behemoths including Google GOOG , Fortune and Facebook lodged a formal complaint letter to lawmakers, saying: "We support the bills' stated goals.
Unfortunately, the bills as drafted would expose law-abiding U. Internet and technology companies to new uncertain liabilities [and] mandates that would require monitoring of web sites.
Where does the bill stand now? SOPA was once expected to sail quickly through committee approval in the House. But tech companies, who largely oppose the bills, mobilized their users to speak out.
Google GOOG , Fortune drew more than 7 million signatures for a petition that it linked on its highly trafficked homepage. The bills lost some of their Congressional backers as a result of the backlash.
One major tenet of the original SOPA legislation has already been removed. As originally written, SOPA would have required Internet service providers ISPs to block access to sites that law enforcement officials deemed pirate sites. But the White House said its analysis of the original legislation's technical provisions "suggests that they pose a real risk to cybersecurity," and that it wouldn't support legislation that mandates manipulating the Internet's technical architecture. What are the alternatives?
One option, of course, is that Congress does nothing and leaves the current laws in place. Alternative legislation has also been proposed. It also beefs up the enforcement process. While Google and every other Silicon Valley company must respect copyrights, they thrive on helping people find what they want. If, suddenly, every web site that had links to other sites had to worry that they could be in violation of the law by linking to a "banned" site, it could put undo pressure on these companies.
Shutting down Wikipedia for a day or blacking out the Google logo won't stop these bills in their tracks, but they have raised an enormous amount of awareness about the issue. As a result, it is likely that these bills will continue to be amended and, though they may pass in some fashion, they are likely to be quite different than they were when first proposed. This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here.
More From Forbes. May 6, , am EDT. Feb 9, , am EST. SOPA's biggest critics and most die-hard supporters have found one thing on which they can agree whole-heartedly agree on one thing: this bill, and its sister Protect IP, are likely to have a huge effect on the future of the Internet if they pass, affecting everything from the security of the DMCA to the shape of the shape of the sites and systems created and going viral every day.
To give some perspective: if SOPA had been introduced in , not , Youtube would not exist, at least in nothing remotely like the form it has taken. Sites like Hulu, with copyright-allowed streaming and frequent ad breaks, would dominate now-hunted sites like Megavideo and Sidereel. Facebook would be even more embroiled in ad companies and Big Media than it even is today. Google would block more than two-thirds of all Tumblr accounts, if the blogging host even existed. EFF's web site and other online communities have pulled similar stunts to demonstrate the possible effect of the legislation.
Nor is the heavy regulation the bill promises sitting well with almost any of the Internet's best and brightest, according to Business Insider. In combating online piracy, we should not jeopardize a foundational structure that has worked for content owners and Internet companies alike and provides certainty to innovators with new ideas for how people create, find, discuss and share information lawfully online.
Since the letter's publication, the European Parliament has adopted a resolution against the bill, stressing the need to protect the integrity of the global Internet and freedom of communication, and Rep.
Nancy Pelosi tweeted that the U. Another letter by GOP presidential hopeful Ron Paul and others in ongres predicted that SOPA would invite an explosion of innovation-killing lawsuits and litigation, and a protest song has even been created.
Those who support SOPA, meanwhile, are getting a big backlash. Hosting and domain registrar company Go Daddy lost more than 37, domains in the past two days after flip-flopping about their stance on the Stop Onlline Piracy Act. Since they first announced their support for the bill, the company has lost 72, domains in this week alone, and is expected to lose more in January Opinion Analysis.
Especially hypocritical bullies. If you actually believe in free speech, and not simply the distribution of other people's intellectual property, you should let journalists, law firms, and investors exercise their rights to it alongside your own While groups and individuals debate publicly, some are working behind the scenes.
Microsoft, one of the biggest elephants in the room, has remained quiet about the bill so far — but as CNET reports, the company is lobbying against the bill in its current form, after it strongly endorsed PIPA earlier this year.
BSA President Robert Holleyman says that "valid and important questions have been raised" about the bill, and that it's unsatisfactory in its current form. To add more confusion, other alleged proponents of SOPA are now coming out of the woodwork in opposition to the bill: as TechDirt claims , a number of law firms and companies have asked to be taken off of the House Judiciary Committee's official list of groups supporting SOPA.
If you don't want to rely on Congress' list, you can check out this crowd sourced list of active SOPA supporters. There's no doubt that the battle over SOPA will continue through next year, and given the wildfire that's spreading on the web, the debate has no end in sight.
For opponents of the bill, the greatest source of strength is not an unexpected one: the open web they're fighting for has given their message an opportunity to be heard. With GoDaddy's reversal, it also appears to be a tool that can provide activists with tangible results. Of course, the same web allowed a "free Justin Bieber" campaign to go unchecked, but then, that might be the point: for the time being, it's still a place where people can share their ideas, their disagreements, and their inner weirdness without fear of censorship.
Unfortunately, it's also still a place where you can steal a movie with just a few clicks. Subscribe to get the best Verge-approved tech deals of the week. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.
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