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Because I know my opinion on things is so important, here are my humble thoughts on SOPA.
I'm against it.
Thank you.
No, wait. What I mean is, I'm against handing the potential to censor the internet over to big Hollywood business or the MPAA or RIAA or whatever. Isn't the very thought of handing over free speech to the whims of companies/associations who sue wedding photographers and parents over the background music in home videos terrifying? And even though I'm not living in America anymore, all my web hosting is still there. Should I have to worry about having all my doll photos and web pages, stuff I've been working on for almost six years now, being deleted in a second because one photo has a copyrighted anime poster in the background? I show a picture of a doll watching a movie, and suddenly everything is gone?
Fuck that noise.
And some people want to say "That's not what its intention is," but there's absolutely nothing stopping it from becoming that way, because those people are stupid, selfish, greedy bastards.
I'm not against it because I looooooove downloading stuff for free. Now, don't get me wrong, I do love downloading stuff for free, but if there were an effective, safe way to prevent pirating, and I found I could no longer download stuff, it wouldn't be the end of the world for me. I'd accept it, no problem. Actually, I'd still be able to watch everything I watch, on TV or from the local video rental store. But I think that the industries pushing SOPA and PIPA are downright retarded for trying to appeal to people by saying pirating costs hard-working Americans jobs.
While browsing online news articles, I came across a comment that summed up my thoughts about it perfectly, and more clearly than I ever could:
"These bills were not well researched as to potential impact. They will have to go back to the drawing board with a realistic plan to protect copyrighted material. One thing revealed in the process is how Hollywood is slowing catching on that no one feels sorry for overpaid actors, producers, and corporate bigwigs. Thus, Hollywood justified their need for protection from piracy based on the meager salaries paid to support staff 'without whom these movies would not be possible'. If the powerbrokers in Hollywood gave a damn about their support staff, they would pay them better. That would, however require a more level pay scale, and the funds to do it would come from the top tier earners. If everyone on the payroll is critical to the success of these movies, why is there a 1000-fold differential in pay scale? Are some people greedy? Me thinks so. Hollywood needs to clean up their own act and we need legislation that has a chance of reducing piracy without compromising security or futzing around with the architecture of the internet."
Emphasis mine.
In other words, maybe instead of paying Brad Pitt $6 million for a movie, pay him only $3 million, which is still far more than most of us will ever see in our lives, and pay those little guys who are soooo affected by pirating a little more.
I don't think SOPA or PIPA will pass. Not now. For the first time, the netizens of America showed that they can fight in the political arena. It's not just the big net names like Google and Facebook that did it – the first attention-grabbing news was the mass exodus out of GoDaddy. The cyber nerds showed what they can and will do; the MPAA will see too.
Actually, I think it's all very exciting. I think now is a very exciting time to be alive.
I'm against it.
Thank you.
No, wait. What I mean is, I'm against handing the potential to censor the internet over to big Hollywood business or the MPAA or RIAA or whatever. Isn't the very thought of handing over free speech to the whims of companies/associations who sue wedding photographers and parents over the background music in home videos terrifying? And even though I'm not living in America anymore, all my web hosting is still there. Should I have to worry about having all my doll photos and web pages, stuff I've been working on for almost six years now, being deleted in a second because one photo has a copyrighted anime poster in the background? I show a picture of a doll watching a movie, and suddenly everything is gone?
Fuck that noise.
And some people want to say "That's not what its intention is," but there's absolutely nothing stopping it from becoming that way, because those people are stupid, selfish, greedy bastards.
I'm not against it because I looooooove downloading stuff for free. Now, don't get me wrong, I do love downloading stuff for free, but if there were an effective, safe way to prevent pirating, and I found I could no longer download stuff, it wouldn't be the end of the world for me. I'd accept it, no problem. Actually, I'd still be able to watch everything I watch, on TV or from the local video rental store. But I think that the industries pushing SOPA and PIPA are downright retarded for trying to appeal to people by saying pirating costs hard-working Americans jobs.
While browsing online news articles, I came across a comment that summed up my thoughts about it perfectly, and more clearly than I ever could:
"These bills were not well researched as to potential impact. They will have to go back to the drawing board with a realistic plan to protect copyrighted material. One thing revealed in the process is how Hollywood is slowing catching on that no one feels sorry for overpaid actors, producers, and corporate bigwigs. Thus, Hollywood justified their need for protection from piracy based on the meager salaries paid to support staff 'without whom these movies would not be possible'. If the powerbrokers in Hollywood gave a damn about their support staff, they would pay them better. That would, however require a more level pay scale, and the funds to do it would come from the top tier earners. If everyone on the payroll is critical to the success of these movies, why is there a 1000-fold differential in pay scale? Are some people greedy? Me thinks so. Hollywood needs to clean up their own act and we need legislation that has a chance of reducing piracy without compromising security or futzing around with the architecture of the internet."
Emphasis mine.
In other words, maybe instead of paying Brad Pitt $6 million for a movie, pay him only $3 million, which is still far more than most of us will ever see in our lives, and pay those little guys who are soooo affected by pirating a little more.
I don't think SOPA or PIPA will pass. Not now. For the first time, the netizens of America showed that they can fight in the political arena. It's not just the big net names like Google and Facebook that did it – the first attention-grabbing news was the mass exodus out of GoDaddy. The cyber nerds showed what they can and will do; the MPAA will see too.
Actually, I think it's all very exciting. I think now is a very exciting time to be alive.
