> SOUTHERN INDIANA —
SOPA and PIPA have been put on hold thanks to public outcry and protests from online information providers, but they are not dead, and it’s our duty to keep track of them.
The bills — known as the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House and the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 in the Senate — were created with the official intention of preventing the illegal streaming and downloading of movies, music and other copyrighted material. Opponents of the bills believe they are too broad and would have unintended consequences. An example of such unintended consequences was explained eloquently in a recent Time magazine article: “They would ensnare small sites that have done nothing wrong in expensive legal battles. Larger sites like YouTube and Facebook would have to begin burdensome new monitoring of their users’ activities or risk legal action because a few teenage girls posted a video of themselves bopping around to a copyrighted Katy Perry song.”
That sounds like a pain in the butt for YouTube and Facebook, but if you don’t work for them, why should you care?
Well, opponents of the bill warn of other, much scarier, unintended consequences. An example of those unintended consequences was explained in an article on Forbes.com by Derek Broes, a digital media and technology executive.
“If the government, and those behind government, didn’t like Huffington Post or Breitbart.com it would now be legally plausible and simple to shut them down. After all, Huffington Post editors at some point in time have posted links to content from CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and other organizations. These networks could now claim that the Huffington Post was infringing upon their copyrights, and that Huffington editors, under SOPA/PIPA, be charged for each offense and go to jail. Yes jail.”
Broes follows this example up by addressing the common response from proponents of the bills who say a situation like that would never happen. He has a nice response, but let me put it to you this way: If you think the government or a corporation or anyone, really, won’t try to construe laws to meet their own personal needs regardless of the original intent of the law, then I’ve got some ocean-front property in Arizona to sell you.
If a law has the potential to allow the government or anyone to infringe upon our right to free speech, it should not be passed. The First Amendment is our most important amendment, which might be why it’s first. If you don’t believe me, I’ll spare you a history lesson, but think of all the events that we know about because of the First Amendment: Watergate, the Pentagon Papers, Phil Hartman’s spot-on impressions of Bill Clinton on Saturday Night Live during the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
Yup, the First Amendment allows us to discuss and criticize the government for their actions whether they like it or not, but I’m sure if these bills are passed they won’t use the law to stop the dissemination of information that might result in unwanted criticism.
And, in a bit of irony, the First Amendment is the reason we are even aware of SOPA and PIPA. An article on the Los Angeles Times website discusses the response of Chinese bloggers to the issue. A quote in the article from blogger Zhao Jing, who uses the pen name Michael Anti, according to the Times article, explains it best when he says, “Only an American company could protest the way Wikipedia or Google has to the government. A Chinese company would never get away with that.”
See why this amendment is at the top of the list?
This is why each and every American must be diligent in defending his or her right to free speech. It’s also why each and every American must continue to monitor bills that are being drafted in Congress and debate and discuss how they will affect us if they become law.
At the end of Broes’ article he warns that, “Hollywood has many large donors that are huge contributors to [President] Obama so, even though Harry Reid postponed a vote on the bill, you can bet that they will try to wait for the frenzy to calm down before voting on a somewhat different version of the bill and most likely have a different name than SOPA or PIPA.”
Be aware of what happens with these and other bills. Our freedom of speech depends on it.
— Michael Reschke is the copy editor at the News and Tribune. Reach him at michael.reschke@newsandtribune.com or by phone at 812-206-2150.
Opinions
Related Photos
-
Michael Reschke
Discussion
RESCHKE: Don’t forget about our old buddies SOPA and PIPA
- Opinions
-
-
DODD: An unexpected Angel
- CHEERS AND JEERS — For May 26-27
-
STAWAR: The souvenir state of America
Recently, my wife Diane and I spent the day aboard the Belle of Cincinnati with our daughter’s family. We all had a good time, even though the diesel-powered Cincinnati attraction isn’t a real steamboat, like our own Belle of Louisville, and despite the fact that it poured down rain the whole time.
-
NASH: Making a Memorial vacation
Memorial Day weekend is upon us which brings us to the start of the summer travel season. With the mild winter we had around here most schools didn’t have much in terms of snow make-up days so many kids have already finished up their semesters and are ready to get on with their holiday. Not to worry parents it will only be a couple of weeks before the back-to-school sales kick in and in no time at all it will be time for those youngsters to go back.
-
HARBESON: A handy little idea
After having worked hard the past few months, I now have something new to add to my resume — “I was Lead Project Manager for a major construction venture, supervising every aspect in the creation of a privately funded community building.”
-
MORRIS: Nancy Hogan was more than just an employee
Pulling into The Tribune parking lot each morning was pretty uneventful in the old days. Nothing good happens between 5:30 and 6 a.m. Nothing at all.
-
HAMILTON: Is this really the best we can do?
As you know if you pay attention to national affairs, the United States faces a perfect fiscal storm at the end of this year. A confluence of deadlines and policy triggers unlike anything I can remember in a half-century of public life will produce massive budget cuts and serious tax increases amounting to a 3.5 percent hit on the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
-
LETTERS: May 23, 2012
— Tea Party leader responds to bridges column
— Bridges need a new approach
— Wives of JPD officers say thanks for service
-
BEAM: Lost memories found
As time elapses, so do our memories. I forget things now. I can’t remember his height. How did he curl his lips into that sardonic, wholehearted smile? I only recall flashes of a moment. Wearing his jacket at prom. His golf clubs in the back of his old, golden car. Notes passed in the hallway. Listening to Boys to Men in his basement.
-
STANCZYKIEWICZ: A gift for mom and dad
Two strategies for parents are important. First, parents need to model for children how to disagree. “When you’re talking with your spouse and you’re whining and complaining and nagging, you shouldn’t be too surprised when your young person does the same thing,” Allen said. “We need to be good role models.”
- More Opinions Headlines
-
