STOP ONLINE PIRACY!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Only in prison.

[mrbillet]

From what I've read about SOPA all you have to do is claim copyright to have a website shut down. Does this mean I could have my old band's website shut down because they have a music video for a song that was largely based around my ideas? Would it even matter if I'm telling the truth?

So, MIDI, I trust you really are the composer of your music? Hmmmmmm? I hear shocking similarities to some "bangin' trakz" I wuz werkn on wiht RZN5.0 last nite. You must be stealing my thoughts from the astral plane. Good job with cleaning them up. I needed the help.

Maybe the above scenario is ridiculous but I have to say I'm wary of this SOPA. If it bars access to Pirate Bays and YouPorns then fine. That's a valid and fair move to protect intellectual property, and in the later case maybe even the privacy of people who never consented to have their boobies broadcast to the public. Placing of too much power in the hands of the accuser, and the government worries me. Accusations of copyright infringement could be used as a pretext by law enforcement to shut down websites that support certain rabble-rousing political movements, right? If I'm right then I fear further erosion of access to free speech. There's my conspiracy theory streak at work, but then these things do happen.

Just because I have fear of misuse of SOPA doesn't mean it is then inherently bad. I just ask if my concern is reasonable. I have some doubts about the future.

This is a political topic and I have a sort of vague political comment on it. It will probably have to be closed now. Oh well.

Yours truly,
Ian