Ordinarily I delete batched e-mail appeals and political rags. For some reason they usually show up from someone who wants to compare Obama to Hitler or the present day US health policy to socialism or fascism. Without fail they are individuals with whom I have only a very oblique acquaintance and even less relationship.
My cousin Kevin sent me a letter yesterday that falls outside the ordinary. I've cut and pasted the whole thing below. It pertains to the proposed SOPA and PIPA legislation which come up for a vote later this month. The bills are supported by the motion picture and music industry for obvious reasons: Their business is being decimated by internet piracy. Even so, sometimes legislation with the best intentions carries the potential for outlandish abuse.
I have not read the bills. But, if they contain the qualification that services could be censored on the basis of "suspicion" of illegal activity, then we are definitely heading in the wrong direction. Action taken against "suspicious activity" has no place in our system of government.
I fully support protection of intellectual property. Doing so in the age of the Internet has got to be exceedingly difficult. Even so, we have to do better than censoring suspicious activities and services. Censorship is the asphalt which paves the road to forfeiture of personal liberty. Perhaps I'm suffering from limited understanding but, if the proposed legislation allows action based on suspicion, then we need to try again.
I'm certainly not asking anyone to sign the petition but the subject is well introduced in my cousin's appeal. You would do well to make yourself aware and informed of this important piece of legislation.
One last thing, before the last thing which is my cousin's letter: The illustration above came from a Canadian blog that features a really fun philosophical discussion of the "slippery slope" premise. Regardless of your thoughts on the intellectual property legislation, Hendik Van Der Breggen's blog is a good read.
Hi Everyone,
I don't normally send blanket emails to everyone on my contacts list, but this is important!
When the Senate comes back into session next week, they'll be
voting on whether to grant themselves the power to turn off parts of the
Internet. Fun sites like YouTube. Informative sites like Wikipedia.
Political sites like MoveOn.org.
voting on whether to grant themselves the power to turn off parts of the
Internet. Fun sites like YouTube. Informative sites like Wikipedia.
Political sites like MoveOn.org.
If enacted, new laws would force Internet Service Providers to block
websites that any corporation suspects violates a copyright or suspects
doesn't monitor it's users' content close enough for copyrighted
materials. That means that any website, foreign or based in the U.S.,
could be wiped out on suspicion and made unavailable to everyone in the
world.
websites that any corporation suspects violates a copyright or suspects
doesn't monitor it's users' content close enough for copyrighted
materials. That means that any website, foreign or based in the U.S.,
could be wiped out on suspicion and made unavailable to everyone in the
world.
I believe in protecting intellectual property rights and copyrights. I don't want anyone
stealing or using my photographs without permission. But this is not the way to protect those rights.
What happened to due process and "innocent until proven guilty?"
The Senate must reject the Internet Censorship Act. Please sign this petition and
spread the word.
spread the word.
Thanks!
Kevin
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