SOPA and PIPA Are Dead!... sort of

I think we've all thought before about what if some apocalyptic technological failure causes the shut down of the internet, how we'd lose all of our data and resources. I just never thought that shut down could be brought on by the government. That's the direction bills like SOPA and PIPA (though indefinitely postponed) are leading us towards.

Use your power as a digital fan to help us fight for childrens' rights and get Warner Bros. to make all Harry Potter chocolate Fair Trade: http://thehpalliance.org/action/campaigns/nihn/

Be sure to watch Kelly's video from Wednesday explaining a bit more about SOPA and PIPA: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N89miMpzI9k
Graphic from: http://www.propublica.org/nerds/item/sopa-opera-update
Hank Green's brilliant video about SOPA and how the internet is like street performers: http://youtu.be/j52a608OMVw
Neil Gaiman discussing piracy and censorship: http://youtu.be/0Qkyt1wXNlI
Could SOPA Rise from the Dead?: http://mashable.com/2012/01/20/could-sopa-rise-from-the-dead/
Another censorship act to be aware of (worldwide), ACTA: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Counterfeiting_Trade_Agreement
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmQN93NqqDM&feature=youtu.be


Disclaimer: I don't want to give Texas or anyone from Texas a bad name. What I said was a simplified explanation of my personal experience in the particular community I grew up in. All of our communities and the ways we are blinded by our upbringings are far too complex to express for a rhetorical aside.

HPA on Twitter: http://twitter.com/thehpalliance
Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/skywalkr16

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• hpa
• hp
• alliance
• harry
• potter
• sopa
• pipa
• acta
• nihn

[thor2003to2009]

I think you just inspired a novel. I thank you graciously for that.

[thehpalliance]

@thor2003to2009 What? That's crazy! Happy writing!

-lauren

[LexiGurlPC15]

What about Megaupload shutdown?

[thehpalliance]

@LexiGurlPC15 MegaUpload was always illegal and always had the possibility of being shut down. Though the timing is questionable, it had nothing to do with SOPA. MegaUpload offered a premium service so people were paying for piracy, which raises more red flags than other piracy sites.

-lauren

[habojspade]

Similar bills have been passed in the past though.

[thehpalliance]

@habojspade I am by no means an expert, but from what I researched on SOPA, PIPA and ACTA they are all much more comprehensive than past bills. I mean, whatever the past bills did, it wasn't enough to significantly change the way we interact online, which these bills, at least in theory, would.

-lauren

[HM909]

I read a quote from someone promoting SOPA + it was more or less, "Now, I'm no computer geek, but..." And I was like, well then bring in the computer geeks! So many of them don't understand what they'd be doing because they've never had their lives changed by the net. I saw a Tweet yesterday about these bills dying being like Voldemort dying in HP1: "We've still got six more books." And this victory is one we'll have to fight for again and again, because there's a lot of books left in this saga.

[LikeSoTotallyRandom]

I felt proud to be an internet user after Wednesday. Which is ridiculous, saying as I didn't do much other than sign the Google petition (Possibly twice--I couldn't remember if I already signed it), but I was happy to be a small part of something so awesome. I felt like we, the internet, were powerful. On a related note I think we should be careful. I read somewhere that SOPA and PIPA may be red herrings so when a slightly-less-bad censorship bill passes, it feels like a victory for us.

[byerscm]

hey i am a texan too :D

[shaboobal1]

You are too late because acta has been signed in america and is going to be signed here in the uk in june :( rip

[decreaserofsuck]

Even though it feels weird to say it, I'm so proud of the internet for accomplishing this win. We were talking about SOPA and PIPA in class on Friday and our teacher was talking about the blackout on Wednesday and I just felt this unexplainable pride for the power of the internet. Great video, Lauren!

[mockingjayphoenix]

Really great video. Two years ago, I probably wouldn't have cared about any of this, but I also wasn't a part of the amazing communities that I am today. Nerdfighteria and the various fandoms have given me so much - friends, acceptance, the ability to express myself, and the power to make a difference. I honestly don't know what I would do without the internet. Unfortunately, most people have never experienced what we have, so it's our responsibility to make them understand how important it is.

[CloudWatcherX]

your right, we need the internet. there are so many things i wouldnt know, and people i wound never have met had it not been for the internet. i hope this bill never gets passed, what would i do without the internet, even though i managed good enough before i had a computer its just not the same. the internet is important, i must not be censored!

[DanaelPalmaDirection]

Agree, research show that the tolerance of the world is increasing so the rid the world of the internet is to dump all that hard work.