Mozilla Helped To Stop SOPA In January, Now It's Worried About WCIT. SOPA. SOPA, Canada Style? By RT A number of SOPA-style anti-piracy amendments to Canadian laws have been introduced by the Canadian Intellectual Property lobby in its report to policymakers. If implemented, the proposals could reshape Canada’s IP policy altogether. Inspired by US anti-piracy efforts, the Canadian Intellectual Property Council has issued a report that outlines anti-piracy legislative priorities for the coming years. The 32-page document calls for the introduction of SOPA-style policies and the implementation of ACTA in Canada.
In the view of CIPC, blocking orders, domain seizure, and contributory liability are very “useful tools to encourage the cooperation of intermediaries who do not wish to be involved in the illicit activity.” The proposed changes target thousands of intermediaries between content providers and consumers. Another part of the report suggests significant changes to Canadian law in order to “keep up with international best practices” outlined in the notorious ACTA agreement. Web freedom faces greatest threat ever, warns Google's Sergey Brin | Technology. The principles of openness and universal access that underpinned the creation of the internet three decades ago are under greater threat than ever, according to Google co-founder Sergey Brin. In an interview with the Guardian, Brin warned there were "very powerful forces that have lined up against the open internet on all sides and around the world".
"I am more worried than I have been in the past," he said. "It's scary. " The threat to the freedom of the internet comes, he claims, from a combination of governments increasingly trying to control access and communication by their citizens, the entertainment industry's attempts to crack down on piracy, and the rise of "restrictive" walled gardens such as Facebook and Apple, which tightly control what software can be released on their platforms. Revealed: US and China's cyber war gamesWashington's plan to beat web censorsChina struggle to regain control of the internetHow open is your internet? An interactive map. Canadian Anti-Privacy Bill Delayed After Public Outcry.
We reported a few weeks ago on Bill C-30, a Canadian bill introduced that would essentially allow the state to spy on Internet users. The EFF is reporting that the bill is now on pause after an enormous public outcry from its citizens. The protests consisted of the usual antics that were used during the SOPA/PIPA protests in the U.S. One of the more interesting protest movements being a Twitter hashtag – #tellviceverything. In essence, it poked fun at the state’s desire to monitor their online lives but confessing everything to the man behind the bill – Vic Toews. C-30 has drawn the ire of those opposed to Toews, but other organizations find problems with the legislation as well. Of course, Vic Toews is not one to stand down. The politicians wanting to pass this bill have the majority so they can take their time. Any concerned Canadian can sign the petition linked above or send a letter to their MP. Canadian Anti-Privacy Bill Delayed After Public Outcry.
Berlin wants to build toll booths on the internet. Please support our site by enabling javascript to view ads. BERLIN, Germany — The internet community is up in arms over a planned copyright law which would force search engines and news aggregators like Google News to pay traditional media firms for publishing snippets of their online content. Media groups in Germany, such as the powerful Springer Verlag, which publishes Bild and Die Welt, and Bertelsmann, have long complained that sites such as Google News are making money off the back of their journalists’ work. They say that, as the original publishers, they should be compensated in some way. Now the government is taking up their cause. In early March, Angela Merkel’s coalition government announced that it would draw up new legislation to compensate publishers.
More from GlobalPost: Germany battles over future of solar In the recent past, Merkel's government has supported the libertarian status quo on the internet. The move is welcomed by the newspaper industry. SOPA, PIPA And ‘Free’ Access | DailyBinaryNews.com. Take Action: ISPs Selling Out Customers, Pushing Backdoor SOPA. Take Action: ISPs Selling Out Customers, Pushing Backdoor SOPA They're selling us out.
Just weeks after Internet users from across the globe came together to to beat SOPA, the major ISPs are cutting a deal with Big Content to restrict web access for users who are accused of piracy. It'll do much of the dirty work we were able to prevent when we took down SOPA, this time by restricting certain Americans' access to the WHOLE Internet. The details are fuzzy, but the head of the Recording Industry Association of America's bragged this week that ISPs will start policing copyright by July of this year.
Here's RT's take: Some of the biggest Internet service providers in America plan to adopt policies that will punish customers for copyright infringement, and one of the top trade groups in the music biz announced this week that it could begin as soon as this summer.... The ISPs are poised to start treating their customers like criminals, restricting their access to the Internet. In Massachusetts, tiny Pirate Party champions Internet freedom. Six years after the Pirate Party first appeared on the US political scene, the Internet freedom fighters haven't gained much of a foothold in American politics. But in Massachusetts, a small group is trying to drum up support for the party's platforms of defending privacy, reforming copyright laws, abolishing patents, and opposing laws that restrict sharing of content on the Internet.
Formed in 2010 and approved as an official political designation by the state in February 2011, the Massachusetts Pirate Party will host its first conference on Saturday, March 10 in Cambridge's Democracy Center. "The primary goal is to bring together different people of Pirate persuasion," Party "Captain" James O'Keefe told Ars. But it's more than that. O'Keefe, who tests computer software and is raising a family, is a former member of the Green-Rainbow Party and ran for state treasurer of Massachusetts in 2002 and 2006, receiving 8 percent and 16 percent of the vote in his two runs.
Anonymous’ Declaration of Independence and the question of Internet sovereignty. Mar 5, 2012 Things have been rather—rather—quiet on the Anonymous front since the loose band of hackers teamed with WikiLeaks to publish the Global Intelligence Files, obtained from the Stratfor hack. Now, Anonymous has issued “A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace.” While the declaration’s title fully communicates the message, the post-modern rhetoric must be read in its entirety to be fully appreciated. One line in particular is especially interesting: “We declare the global social space we are building to be naturally independent of the tyrannies you seek to impose on us.” It speaks to the absurdity of any government attempting to regulate something that is etheric; a creation beyond geography or product.
Indeed, an entity that is something else entirely. It’s long been a cliche to say “information is power,” and it’s usually said in relation to governments and people, or by businesses hoping to best competitors. As the declaration states: Resistance to sopa. PIPA postponed indefinitely. Stop American Censorship — a campaign from Fight for the Future. Chris Dodd - Statement on blackout. The Impact of U.S. Internet Copyright Regulations on Early-Stage Investment. The Impact of U.S. Internet Copyright Regulations on Early-Stage Investment by Tashfeen Ahmed, Matthew Le Merle, Christopher Pencavel, Raju Sarma Published: November 15, 2011 New startup companies have long been an important driver of innovation and economic growth in the U.S., and few of them would have grown to maturity without early-stage financing.
This study, based on a survey of almost 200 angel investors and interviews with 20 prominent venture capitalists, analyzes the extent to which this financing might be affected by the copyright regulatory environment. Loading... Briefing Matthew Le MerleRaju SarmaTashfeen Ahmed Christopher Pencavel The Impact of U.S. Booz & Company 2 of 28 The world has benefited enormously from an impressive level of growth and innovation over the past several decades. One area of Internet regulation currently being debated is digital copyright. This report was financed by Google Inc., and independently researched and written by Booz & Company. 3 of 28 Preface 4 of 28. A technical examination of SOPA and PROTECT IP. As you have probably heard, there are two pieces of legislation currently pending that we, and others like us, believe seriously threaten the internet.
I wanted to take some time to delve into the text of both of these bills, and outline their potential consequences as I am able to understand them. As you can imagine, this is a complex issue, and as a result this is going to be a complex post. I highly encourage you to set some time aside to read this thoroughly. Grab some caffeine, we are going to be here for a while. As a disclaimer, I am not a lawyer, I'm a sysadmin. The following is not legal advice, but rather an outline and personal interpretation of critical portions of the legislation. Note: In recent news, several legislators have suggested that they will be removing the DNS provisions from both SOPA and PROTECT IP.
The Sacred Texts Much of this post will be focusing on Title 1, Sections 101, 102, and 103 of SOPA; and Sections 2, 3, and 4 of PROTECT IP. The Battlefields 1. Wikipedia Goes Dark For 24 Hours To Protest Web Piracy Bills. Jan. 18, 2012: Online encyclopedia Wikipedia has begun a 24-hour "blackout," a dramatic response to proposed legislation that many top websites claim will reshape the web.Wikipedia SAN FRANCISCO – Can the world live without Wikipedia for a day? The user-driven online encyclopedia is one of the Internet's most visited sites, and at midnight Eastern Standard Time it began a 24-hour "blackout" in protest against proposed anti-piracy legislation that many leading websites -- including Reddit, Google, Facebook, Amazon and others -- contend will make it challenging if not impossible for them to operate.
It's a dramatic response to the Protect Intellectual Property Act under consideration in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the House, a pair of bills backed by the motion picture and recording industries that are intended to eliminate theft online once and for all. The shutdown adds to a very vocal body of critics who are speaking out against the legislation.
Bloggers unite to crush SOPA. PROTECT IP Act Breaks the Internet. I am writing to you as a voter in your district. I urge you to vote "no" on cloture for S. 968, the PROTECT IP Act, on Jan. 24th. The PROTECT IP Act is dangerous, ineffective, and short-sighted. It does not deserve floor consideration. I urge my representative to vote "no" on SOPA, the corresponding House bill. Over coming days you'll be hearing from the many businesses, advocacy organizations, and ordinary Americans who oppose this legislation because of the myriad ways in which it will stifle free speech and innovation. We hope you'll take our concerns to heart and oppose this legislation by voting "no" on cloture. The video above discusses the Senate version of the House's Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). PIPA would give the government new powers to block Americans' access websites that corporations don't like.
Join a SOPA and PIPA debate by $makepictures on deviantART. Wikipedia blackout: 24-hour strike against SOPA, PIPA begins. How PIPA and SOPA Violate White House Principles Supporting Free Speech and Innovation. Over the weekend, the Obama administration issued a potentially game-changing statement on the blacklist bills, saying it would oppose PIPA and SOPA as written, and drew an important line in the sand by emphasizing that it “will not support” any bill “that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet. " Yet, the fight is still far from over. Even though the New York Times reported that the White House statement "all but kill[s] current versions of the legislation," the Senate is still poised to bring PIPA to the floor next week, and we can expect SOPA proponents in the House to try to revive the legislation—unless they get the message that these initiatives must stop, now. So let’s take a look at the dangerous provisions in the blacklist bills that would violate the White House’s own principles by damaging free speech, Internet security, and online innovation: The Anti-Circumvention Provision The “Vigilante” Provision.
Strike Against SOPA & PIPA. Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) | Petition Congress: Protect the Internet for Innovators! Rachel Maddow highlighted this petition on her MSNBC show -- watch: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has put the anti-Internet bill on hold! But the fight continues as the Senate prepares for a vote soon. Join over 230,000 others in signing the reddit/PCCC petition to Congress -- help us reach 250,000. PETITION TO CONGRESS: Don’t let big corporations use lobbyists and government regulations to censor the Internet and block innovators from inventing the next reddit, YouTube, or Google.
Protect free speech and innovation online. After you sign, you'll get activism emails from the PCCC -- including informing you when your representatives will vote on this horrible bill. YouTube started as a project in a garage. Instead, under the law, Viacom would have to contact YouTube, make the case, and allow YouTube to decide if the case had merit. Because of this due process, investors in YouTube knew that big corporations couldn't litigate YouTube to death. These two pieces of legislation threaten to: Tribe-legis-memo-on-SOPA-12-6-11-1.pdf (application/pdf Object)