Topic: Team America: Internet Police (UK ISPs Block PirateBay - DOS Attacks on TPB)

[OCK]

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as H.R.3261, is a bill that was introduced to the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, by Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill expands the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods. Now before the House Judiciary Committee, it builds on the similar PRO-IP Act of 2008 and the corresponding Senate bill, the Protect IP Act.

The bill would allow the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who requests the court orders, the actions could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators such as PayPal from doing business with the infringing website; barring search engines from linking to such sites and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites. The bill would make unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content a felony. The bill also gives immunity to Internet services that voluntarily take action against websites dedicated to infringement, while making liable for damages any copyright holder who knowingly misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

The PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011; United States Senate Bill S.968) is a proposed law with the stated goal of giving the US government and copyright holders additional tools to curb access to "rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods", especially those registered outside the U.S. The bill was introduced on May 12, 2011 by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and 11 initial bipartisan co-sponsors. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that implementation of the bill would cost the federal government $47 million through 2016, to cover enforcement costs and the hiring and training of 22 new special agents and 26 support staff.[3] The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill, but Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) placed a hold on it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protect_IP

Basically, America are in the process of trying to pass a bill that will allow them to police the internet if they believe someone is infringing on Copyright laws. Won't matter what country you're in, or what country the content/server is in. They'll be able to restrict access to it. Madness.

EU's Response: http://euletter-sopa-pipa.tumblr.com/post/14113460718/final-letter-with-signatures

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111216/02382617103/sopa-markup-day-1-we-dont-understand-this-bill-it-might-do-terrible-things-dammit-were-passing-it-now.shtml

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c112:H.R.3261:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c112:./temp/~c112hOSIwP

[wacko]

American politicians are a bunch of unethical stooges entirely in the pockets of the companies that fund their campaigns.

[Mike]

American politicians are a bunch of unethical stooges entirely in the pockets of the companies that fund their campaigns.

And they keep winning elections.

[Cajun]

f***ing commies.

[Turnbull2000]

American politicians are a bunch of unethical stooges entirely in the pockets of the companies that fund their campaigns.

Aye, it's amazing how openly corrupt the whole system seems to be over there. Senators' brazenly receive hundreds of thousands by the copyright industry and record labels to protect their archaic business model. Seems being eventually hired by those who essentially bribed you is quite common too.

[Mike]

f***ing commies.

They're not principled enough to have an ethos.

[OCK]

They wanted to rush the Bill through the Christmas break, despite openly admitted they didn't understand what it meant... 

Its on hold over the Christmas, with a view to look at it again in Jan. However, amendments aren't allowed.

[Mike]

They're such f***ing scum, man.

[OCK]

Rep. Watt was particularly keen to display his own ignorance. He regularly admitted that he wasn't very knowledgeable on technology

 

[Mike]

Rep. Watt was particularly keen to display his own ignorance. He regularly admitted that he wasn't very knowledgeable on technology

 

It'd be funny if it wasn't so infuriating.

[indi]

American politicians are a bunch of unethical stooges entirely in the pockets of the companies that fund their campaigns.

Aye, it's amazing how openly corrupt the whole system seems to be over there. Senators' brazenly receive hundreds of thousands by the copyright industry and record labels to protect their archaic business model. Seems being eventually hired by those who essentially bribed you is quite common too.

Same thing happens over here, particularly with the City firms.

[Northerngimp]

US politicians are so bought its unfunny, its so f***ing obvious.

Fuckng hell wake up the american people and rush these money seeking bums out of town.

[indi]

At least it's open over there, the same s*** goes down here it's just not public knowledge.

[thomas]

it sucks and it's shitty and everyone hates them but by f*** they know how to pander to the > 50 crowd who actually show up to vote instead of the young people who just clammor for change and then spend the next <term length> years whining on twitter after not actually, you know, registering to vote and voting and getting s*** changed

also it was a huge stab in the back to see Obama turn out as bad as those conservative shills in the end.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

it sucks and it's shitty and everyone hates them but by f*** they know how to pander to the > 50 crowd who actually show up to vote instead of the young people who just clammor for change and then spend the next <term length> years whining on twitter after not actually, you know, registering to vote and voting and getting s*** changed

also it was a huge stab in the back to see Obama turn out as bad as those conservative shills in the end.

Does he have much of a choice though?

[Geordie Boot Boy]

I'd say he's worse to be honest

[chicago_shearer]

Might be a woosh, but how are they going to stop a server or site located in another country?

[Cajun]

Might be a woosh, but how are they going to stop a server or site located in another country?

Shock and awe said country.

[Northerngimp]

Might be a woosh, but how are they going to stop a server or site located in another country?

Just close the site down or start restricting the internet like china.

[elbee909]

Might be a woosh, but how are they going to stop a server or site located in another country?

Just close the site down or start restricting the internet like china.

I still don't understand how they do that when it's in another country.

[madras]

Mike.........this is your lot, what are you going to do about it ? Get it sorted theres a good chap.

[newsted]

I agree. By close of play today. Well done you.

[Ketsbaia]

The PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011

They really shoehorned those words into that acronym, didn't they?

[Cajun]

Just a bit

[Mike]

I agree. By close of play today. Well done you.

brb.