The first article of 2012 for Castle Co-Op, a website dedicated to Film, TV, Music and Culture – Published 24-01-2012

With the current state of SOPA and PIPA all but dead – or postponed indefinitely – this is a good chance to close out this controversial topic ignited by the internet illiterate and the technologically challenged members of the current U.S Congress. By no means do I take authoritative license to detail the very long and poorly drafted proposed legislation – but as with everybody who writes for a blog or website, I feel emphatically obligated to inflict my opinion on the web as a concerned citizen who doesn’t want Americans fucking around with the internet.

 “To promote prosperity, creativity, entrepreneurship, and innovation by combating the theft of U.S property, and for other purposes”- Bullshit!

SOPA and its lesser form PIPA was the cancerous vein poised to disperse a malodorous miasma under a guise that protects the copyrights of American corporations. The ambiguous definition of rouge and foreign sites, the lack of any due process and the terrifying DNS blacklisting was the detrimental issues to freedom of speech and undermines online innovation. This bill isn’t a surgical procedure to eliminate the pirated content but a blatant nuclear strike on the very foundations of the internet.

Thanks to the support of numerous websites and individuals signing online petitions, calling their local congressman and generally raising awareness of this heinous act, the bill (that was to be voted today 24/01/2012) has been postponed indefinitely. The real decisive blow was the January 18^th blackout to imitate the DNS blocking provisions of SOPA. The blackout of Reddit, Wikipedia and an additional 7000+ websites resulted in many former supporters in Congress now opposing the legislation. This tracking image says it all.

Inundated with other priority topics concerning budgetary quandary, high unemployment, questionable health care, unease in the Middle East and the ubiquitous environmental issues to address, why is the U.S Congress concerning themselves with a slew of 14 year old girls posting copyrighted music videos of Justin Beiber on YouTube?

What amazes me is the hypocrisy and sheer deluded sense of grandeur the U.S lobbyists have to claim rightful jurisdiction over the internet despite violating the cornerstone of the American Constitution; the First Amendment’s right to Freedom of Speech.

The only ones unaware of SOPA are the ones unaffected by it, however the overreaching nature of this legislation potentially kills off any future innovations of the next technological marvel; an enigma fostering in the minds of the next generation.

In truth online piracy is not the biggest threat to American corporations and their copyrighted intellectual properties. Even so, it is proven that censorship similar to the Great Firewall of China is not the solution. By providing consumers with a superior method of obtaining products through searching, downloading and streaming services is a far better alternative to combat online piracy – it’s the reason iTunes, Hulu, Netflix and Amazon Instant Stream aren’t huge American failures.

SOPA and or PIPA is not the current iteration of this idea to censor copyrighted material, nor will it be the last as RIAA, MPAA, ESA and the fossils in Congress (with the average age of members encroaching 70 years of age) prepare another stupid acronym that will threaten a free and open internet. With the battle over and the war continuing, it’s a pleasure to congratulate everyone who raised awareness and protested en mass as SOPA and PIPA take a decisive arrow to the knee.