If SOPA and PIPA passes.. what will happen to TRF?

[Babycat]

Not sure if this is related, but for several hours now, I've not been able to properly get into FB - all I get is a blank page with the group header and likewise with my profile. I end up having to refresh both pages just to see what's happening. Has anyone else had this problem?

[danielmclark]

Please don't start on "Obama Care" here. I'd rather this thread stay out of SOCN.

 

Babycat, no, any issues you've had with FB today are unrelated. I've logged in a few times without issue.

[The Owl]

http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-AOrT8u5fxCg/TsQ_rBz3NEI/AAAAAAAADb8/BV2LrraHscU/you-shall-not-pass-SOPA.jpg

[HowItIs]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Jan 19 2012, 08:28 AM)

QUOTE (Babycat @ Jan 19 2012, 03:35 AM) Exactly. ALL of us - forums, social networking sites, images. Everything. I'm scared for everyone. Fear isn't the best state of mind - face yer fear, Babycat! We shall overcome!! It's a big, important thing, but there are powerful forces on our side, too. It's the MPAA and RIAA and related entertainment corporations vs. Google, Microsoft and other tech behemoths.   Google, in particular, will go to war over it if they have to (though they haven't said as such, it's only logical). Their entire business model is predicated on taking other people's copyrighted content and displaying it in their search results. I'd lay money on Google winning a fight against the entertainment industry any day. I read an interesting article on Addicting Info last night.   The Entertainment Industry Always Tries To Suppress Innovation And Is Always Wrong (Infographic)

Edited January 20, 2012 by HowItIs

[Babycat]

Came across this when I was looking for some info:

 

QUOTE

Thank you for protecting Wikipedia. (We're not done yet.) SOPA initiative Thank you. The Wikipedia blackout is over and you have spoken. Over 150 million people saw our message asking if you could imagine a world without free knowledge. You said no. You shut down Congress's switchboards. You melted their servers. Your voice was loud and strong. Millions of people have spoken in defense of a free and open Internet. For us, this is not about money. It's about knowledge. As a community of authors, editors, photographers, and programmers, we invite everyone to share and build upon our work. Our mission is to empower and engage people to document the sum of all human knowledge, and to make it available to all humanity, in perpetuity. We care about authors, because we are authors. SOPA and PIPA are not dead: they are waiting in the shadows. What's happened in the last 24 hours, though, is extraordinary. The Internet has enabled creativity, knowledge, and innovation to shine. And as Wikipedia and other websites went dark, you've directed that energy to protecting it. We're turning the lights back on. Help us keep them shining brightly.

[Mr. Not]

Here's the scoop on both SOPA and PIPA:

 

When major internet sites blacked out on Wednesday, January 18, 2012, many supporters of the bill saw what the consequences would be. This includes the 11 congressmen who dropped their support withing 24 hours of the blackout.

PIPA (Protect ip Act) never had as much support as SOPA, and therefore was not as much of a threat.

President Obama made a statement this week that, if either of these bills, or anything like them, are passed through congress, he would veto it without a question.

 

The theory behind SOPA is actually a good idea, because it would stop online piracy (yes, I know, I would miss it too), but the problem with it is that it does not do a good job of explaining how it would work. The only way, pretty much, that SOPA could stop pirating is to stop all internet downloads all together.

 

And, If you're not from the US and think that SOPA and PIPA don't affect you - you are wrong. Almost all major internet sites are based in the US. Even the ones that aren't will be greatly affected. These websites would lose a lot of their users, and therefore a lot of their advertisement money.

 

Some interesting facts related to SOPA and PIPA:

 

As some of you may have heard, Government Agencies found the creator and owner of the major music pirating website, Megauploadcom. He was barricaded in a saferoom in his $30 million mansion. Experts have estimated that his website has cost the Music industry over $600 million over the years. The FBI is now working on tracking the biggest users of Megaupload, look out...

 

A group of German Hackers recently launched an illegal satellite into space, the first of many, they claim. The plans for this satellite are to create their own internet, and replace the current one should the SOPA and PIPA laws pass.

 

The author of the SOPA bill, Texas Senator Lamar Smith, has a re-election website, as most senators do. And, As his background picture, he has a beautiful shot of a bright meadow, with rays of sunlight streaming through the trees. The funny thing is, he does not have permission from the original photographer, who has this photo copyrighted. Lamar Smith broke his own bill without even realizing it! Oh, the irony...

 

Summary:

The SOPA and PIPA laws are almost guaranteed to die out within the next month or so. Even if they pass congress, President Obama will veto them on the spot. Congress has lost a lot of support for the bill, thanks to the internet black out.

 

Fellow members of the internet, we are free from harm! (for now)

Edited January 22, 2012 by Ovningskora

[danielmclark]

I would *love* to see the math involved in coming up with the "experts estimate [MegaUpload] cost the music industry $600 million over the years". I'd also love to know who the "experts" are. What are their names and who do they work for?

[lerxt1990]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Jan 22 2012, 02:20 PM)

I would *love* to see the math involved in coming up with the "experts estimate [MegaUpload] cost the music industry $600 million over the years". I'd also love to know who the "experts" are. What are their names and who do they work for?

Those kinds of figures are ALWAYS inflated. I agree, would love to see that.

[Mr. Not]

http://youtu.be/-POCDQYBSFw

[drbirdsong]

Both bills have been withdrawn for "rewrites". They will be back in more convoluted language and passed in the dead of night and probably signed by whoever is in the White House.

 

If you look at FileSonic's website they have this message up:

 

"All sharing functionality of FileSonic is now disabled. Our service can only be used to upload and retrieve files that you have uploaded personally."

 

Welcome to the new internet. It's going to be like Iran all over the world.

[Mr. Not]

[danielmclark]

They know they can't go after the torrent sites with any great success, they know they can't shut down Usenet, so they go after the soft targets to they can claim massive victories in the fight against online piracy. Lovely.

[Mr. Not]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Jan 23 2012, 10:01 PM)

They know they can't go after the torrent sites with any great success, they know they can't shut down Usenet, so they go after the soft targets to they can claim massive victories in the fight against online piracy. Lovely.

Surprised Wikileaks isn't blocked yet.

 

TPB will survive through this.

[Babycat]

Any word on:

 

YouTube

TubeZen (downloadable version of Youtube)

Photobucket (though that's changed quite a lot)

Flickr

Fotosearch

Imgur

Google Images

and others?

[Mr. Not]

QUOTE (Babycat @ Jan 23 2012, 10:13 PM)

Any word on: YouTube TubeZen (downloadable version of Youtube) Photobucket (though that's changed quite a lot) Flickr Fotosearch Imgur Google Images and others?

SAFE

 

 

Though TubeZen sounds sketchy, they might go after that, though it's a very minor form of "piracy."

[danielmclark]

The more mainstream the site, the safer it is. If it operates on the edge of legality, like Megaupload did, then odds are against its survival.

 

And this is without SOPA and PIPA. Those bills were never made law. It's important not to confuse that. These recent takedowns only demonstrate that existing laws are sufficient to go after the sites operating on the edge of legality. Anything more would only serve to take down mainstream sites.

[Mr. Not]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Jan 23 2012, 11:18 PM)

And this is without SOPA and PIPA. Those bills were never made law. It's important not to confuse that.

[Babycat]

QUOTE (Ovningskora @ Jan 24 2012, 06:18 AM)

QUOTE (Babycat @ Jan 23 2012, 10:13 PM) Any word on: YouTube TubeZen (downloadable version of Youtube) Photobucket (though that's changed quite a lot) Flickr Fotosearch Imgur Google Images and others? SAFE     Though TubeZen sounds sketchy, they might go after that, though it's a very minor form of "piracy." That's good to know - so far. But does safe mean safe safe, or safe for now safe..?   TubeZen does sound sketchy. I guess that includes Tubidy (downloadable video site), which is a rather naff (I'm being polite, here) 3gp version.   Can forums and social network sites exist without images and videos? Would they be safe from being shut down?   Are MP3 music sites safe?   Also just heard that the bill hasn't gone through. Any confirmation on that?

[danielmclark]

QUOTE (Babycat @ Jan 24 2012, 02:29 AM)

QUOTE (Ovningskora @ Jan 24 2012, 06:18 AM) QUOTE (Babycat @ Jan 23 2012, 10:13 PM) Any word on: YouTube TubeZen (downloadable version of Youtube) Photobucket (though that's changed quite a lot) Flickr Fotosearch Imgur Google Images and others? SAFE     Though TubeZen sounds sketchy, they might go after that, though it's a very minor form of "piracy." That's good to know - so far. But does safe mean safe safe, or safe for now safe..?   TubeZen does sound sketchy. I guess that includes Tubidy (downloadable video site), which is a rather naff (I'm being polite, here) 3gp version.   Can forums and social network sites exist without images and videos? Would they be safe from being shut down?   Are MP3 music sites safe?   Also just heard that the bill hasn't gone through. Any confirmation on that? Yes, it's confirmed. The bills have been pulled and will not be returning this session. They may (probably will) be back in another form at another time, but it's over for now.

[Babycat]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Jan 24 2012, 04:30 PM)

QUOTE (Babycat @ Jan 24 2012, 02:29 AM) QUOTE (Ovningskora @ Jan 24 2012, 06:18 AM) QUOTE (Babycat @ Jan 23 2012, 10:13 PM) Any word on: YouTube TubeZen (downloadable version of Youtube) Photobucket (though that's changed quite a lot) Flickr Fotosearch Imgur Google Images and others? SAFE     Though TubeZen sounds sketchy, they might go after that, though it's a very minor form of "piracy." That's good to know - so far. But does safe mean safe safe, or safe for now safe..?   TubeZen does sound sketchy. I guess that includes Tubidy (downloadable video site), which is a rather naff (I'm being polite, here) 3gp version.   Can forums and social network sites exist without images and videos? Would they be safe from being shut down?   Are MP3 music sites safe?   Also just heard that the bill hasn't gone through. Any confirmation on that? Yes, it's confirmed. The bills have been pulled and will not be returning this session. They may (probably will) be back in another form at another time, but it's over for now. YAAA-HOOOOO!!! SAFE!!!

[librarian]

Can't the world do something important, like create jobs instead of this bullpuckey???

[Tommy Sawyer]

Just realized something. If the US passes this law, Google (and I assume Yahoo and the like as well) will have to censor it's results.

 

Does that mean any person around the world using Google will get screwed? Without getting a say in the bill?

[danielmclark]

QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Jan 24 2012, 03:20 PM)

Just realized something. If the US passes this law, Google (and I assume Yahoo and the like as well) will have to censor it's results. Does that mean any person around the world using Google will get screwed? Without getting a say in the bill?

Yes. That's exactly what it would mean.

 

We have no way of knowing what the bill will look like when it comes back, but that's what would have happened if SOPA/PIPA had become law.

[thesweetscience]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Jan 24 2012, 06:38 PM)

QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Jan 24 2012, 03:20 PM) Just realized something. If the US passes this law, Google (and I assume Yahoo and the like as well) will have to censor it's results. Does that mean any person around the world using Google will get screwed? Without getting a say in the bill? Yes. That's exactly what it would mean.   We have no way of knowing what the bill will look like when it comes back, but that's what would have happened if SOPA/PIPA had become law. It will be all the same stuff tacked into smaller unrelated bills. this isn't over at all. It's just delayed.

[Babycat]

QUOTE (danielmclark @ Jan 24 2012, 10:38 PM)

QUOTE (Tommy Sawyer @ Jan 24 2012, 03:20 PM) Just realized something. If the US passes this law, Google (and I assume Yahoo and the like as well) will have to censor it's results. Does that mean any person around the world using Google will get screwed? Without getting a say in the bill? Yes. That's exactly what it would mean.   We have no way of knowing what the bill will look like when it comes back, but that's what would have happened if SOPA/PIPA had become law. As in if anyone posts Google images, that sort of thing? Photobucket, etc?