So unless you've been on a complete and utter media/internet blackout, it is impossible for us not to have heard about SOPA, the US Stop Online Piracy Act and it's counterpart sister act, PIPA, the Protect IP Act. I must say, I'm reasonably ignorant to the acts themselves, I've heard of them and understand that if passed, it will have serious repercussions for the Internet as we know it today. It will, essentially police the internet, subjecting the internet as we know to vigorous anti-freedom of information and anti-freedom of speech policies, restricting everything from blogs such as this, to google, to wikipedia, to facebook.
"SOPA and PIPA will have a global effect - websites outside of the U.S. would be impacted by legislation that hurts the free and open web", says Wikipedia. "[O]ther jurisdictions are grappling with similar issues may [also] choose paths similar to SOPA and PIPA." taken from the Guardian OnlineWikipedia has staged a 24 hour blackout to highlight the importance of just how damaging to a free and open web these acts could be. It doesn't just boil down to large companies such as Sony, Hollywood studios and other major corporations being money grubbing Scrooge's, it reflects the intent of a nation who seem hell bent on controlling just what their population can and can't see, and in effect, the whole world. For more, either visit Wikipedia or head to the original guardian post here. For an overview of the range of opposition to SOPA, head here.
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