Internet Censorship Bill Before Congress Right Now!

[Ethersync]

Stop the Internet Blacklist

By David Segal and Aaron Swartz

When it really matters to them, Congressmembers can come together -- with a panache and wry wit you didn't know they had. As banned books week gets underway, and President Obama admonishes oppressive regimes for their censorship of the Internet, a group of powerful Senators -- Republicans and Democrats alike -- have signed onto a bill that would vastly expand the government's power to censor the Internet.

The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) was introduced just one week ago, but it's greased and ready to move, with a hearing in front of the Judiciary Committee this Thursday. If people don't speak out, US citizens could soon find themselves joining Iranians and Chinese in being blocked from accessing broad chunks of the public Internet.

Help us stop this bill in its tracks! Click here to sign our petition.

COICA creates two blacklists of Internet domain names. Courts could add sites to the first list; the Attorney General would have control over the second. Internet service providers and others (everyone from Comcast to PayPal to Google AdSense) would be required to block any domains on the first list. They would also receive immunity (and presumably the good favor of the government) if they block domains on the second list.

The lists are for sites "dedicated to infringing activity," but that's defined very broadly -- any domain name where counterfeit goods or copyrighted material are "central to the activity of the Internet site" could be blocked.

One example of what this means in practice: sites like YouTube could be censored in the US. Copyright holders like Viacom often argue copyrighted material is central to the activity of YouTube, but under current US law, YouTube is perfectly legal as long as they take down copyrighted material when they're informed about it -- which is why Viacom lost to YouTube in court.

But if COICA passes, Viacom wouldn't even need to prove YouTube is doing anything illegal to get it shut down -- as long as they can persuade the courts that enough other people are using it for copyright infringement, the whole site could be censored.

Perhaps even more disturbing: Even if Viacom couldn't get a court to compel censorship of a YouTube or a similar site, the DOJ could put it on the second blacklist and encourage ISPs to block it even without a court order. (ISPs have ample reason to abide the will of the powerful DOJ, even if the law doesn't formally require them to do so.)

COICA's passage would be a tremendous blow to free speech on the Internet -- and likely a first step towards much broader online censorship. Please help us fight back: The first step is signing our petition. We'll give you the tools to share it with your friends and call your Senator.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-..._b_739836.html

[12clicks]

but, but, but, obama is on our side!

[NetHorse]

I've been talking about this for years. IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, eventually.

There will be both negatives and positives, the positives being, they can block access to sites that share pirated content. Tubes, torrent listing sites, file sharing sites like rapidshare, file sharing forums, etc.

The negative being, our rights will be stripped and our access to the internet will be controlled by a "committee", and like with anything government controlled, it will be sloppy and unfair. They will ban access to sites with little or no explanation and no recourse by the site owners.

[Bill8]

In theory, it could work to our benefit.

I was actually hoping the original poster meant an actual porn censorship law, not just an IP law.

[NetHorse]

By the way, this was brought up years ago, before the current administration. It's been an on going issue. They just gave it a new name and it's gotten a lot more publicity this time around.

[Odin]

The problem is half the idiots on here think so small that they most likely think this is a good thing. This is a one time deal though, once the Government gets its hands in it will never step back from that control, and eventually that control will extend to adult and wherever else we want. We need laws that allow for more appropriate laws to enable CIVIL action on these CIVIL matters. Certainly not Government intervention.

[FatBastard]

Originally Posted by 12clicks

but, but, but, obama is on our side!

[Redrob]

Pirates are the problem.......

[Bill8]

Originally Posted by Chief

We need laws that allow for more appropriate laws to enable CIVIL action on these CIVIL matters. Certainly not Government intervention.

Ironic, coming from an australian.

However, it would be nice to see the pro-civil types come up with actual legislation here in the US.

Lets see, how would that work - as we all know, the internet is planetary - you'd have to create a giant international court system with massive unprecedented powers to arrest and punish violators anywhere on the planet where a server can be installed. Planetary IP police.

So we amuricans, or them chinese, can send internet cops to australia and bust some kid p2ping copies of Avatar or topbucks movies.

Oh, you meant only if the theiving server was in your own civil jurisdiction...

Sure, a civil solution sounds great. How would your civil solution work?

[Davy]

Good luck, guys! You are going to need it!

[goodsites]

And a new underground net will be born... the internet is a fad... its not a single entity, internet is not WWW.
I wish i sold stock 20 years ago, i'd be in the billions of shared sold by now and not even starting developing it yet

Over 15 years ago, i use ma bell and networked amazing things with others from my c64..

If tomorrow i need to dig a t1 into my backyard to get away from comcast or att, so be it.

Like to see ya govern that...

I like this blocking shit.. will bring another brand new untapped economy to market, this time around I'll have all the clues
and better yet, get me away from the parasites the internet created

[goodsites]

I see Baddog made it.. got the bad rep... Thats a compliment to me thanks!

[Ethersync]

Originally Posted by Bill8

In theory, it could work to our benefit.

Oh, please

That any of you think this is a good thing is really disturbing

[dirtymind]

well what can i say. I in the Netherlands and we are never going to allow Americans to arrest any of us. SO in other words this something that would deal a blow to USA forcing many internet companies to reside out side of USA getting America in an even great dept because of the loss of tax.

And this called the land of the FREE......?

[BlackCrayon]

if this passes someone should work out a solution where americans can tap into isp's from other countries and avoid any block. that would make a mint.

[u-Bob]

Originally Posted by dirtymind

well what can i say. I in the Netherlands and we are never going to allow Americans to arrest any of us. SO in other words this something that would deal a blow to USA forcing many internet companies to reside out side of USA getting America in an even great dept because of the loss of tax.

And this called the land of the FREE......?

1. ACTA.
2. US based companies are already shutting down sites that are legal outside the US and hosted outside the US by telling US based registrars that the sites are violating US regulations.

[SpongeBub]

Originally Posted by Ethersync

Oh, please

That any of you think this is a good thing is really disturbing

I agree. I've seen people on this forum signing on to things that boggle the mind in terms of censorship, all in the cause of trying to turn the clock back to 2001. Don't you see that whatever they do will eventually be used against you, the purveyors of smut. For the children, don't ya know.

My only question is this - are they going to block the domain names or access to the actual websites. Cause I don't mind typing in the IP address to RS and HF. Or even putting it into my Hosts file.

[u-Bob]

Originally Posted by SpongeBub

I agree. I've seen people on this forum signing on to things that boggle the mind in terms of censorship, all in the cause of trying to turn the clock back to 2001. Don't you see that whatever they do will eventually be used against you, the purveyors of smut. For the children, don't ya know.

q f t > http://www.gofuckyourself.com/showthread.php?t=995351

[Ethersync]

Originally Posted by SpongeBub

I've seen people on this forum signing on to things that boggle the mind in terms of censorship, all in the cause of trying to turn the clock back to 2001.

Exactly

[Dirty Dane]

If it can be proven in court that YouTube is dedicated to copyright infringements then I can't see the problem with blacklisting it. YouTube, or any other small or big website, shouldn't be excempt.

Giving this power to someone outside the courts is a bad idea though. There should be a legal reason for blocking a domain. Not a moral reason.

[pornguy]

I am willing to bet if this passes adult will change for the worse.

[Paul Markham]

Unlike many I've worked in the porn industry that was censored and regulated. AND we all made money.

Men will jerk off to the lingerie section in a mail order catalogue if that's all they can find.

So stop worrying, so long as it's a level playing field and foreign sites are banned under the same rules as US ones you're going to be fine.

As for free speech. All the media you read off the Internet is subject to censorship. Even what is taught in schools is sometimes subject to censorship. Plus you have the Constitution to protect you. Will this law get pass that?

[Alprazolam]

bring it on. i'd love to see all the content stealing fuck faces put on those lists. pass it.

[chronig]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

Unlike many I've worked in the porn industry that was censored and regulated. AND we all made money.

Men will jerk off to the lingerie section in a mail order catalogue if that's all they can find.

So stop worrying, so long as it's a level playing field and foreign sites are banned under the same rules as US ones you're going to be fine.

As for free speech. All the media you read off the Internet is subject to censorship. Even what is taught in schools is sometimes subject to censorship. Plus you have the Constitution to protect you. Will this law get pass that?

What worries me, Old Man Markham, something that you have absolutely NO concept of because you are 100 years old and can't grasp the concept of basic technological advances, is that the majority will likely be able to bypass any kind of blocks that are put in place. Leaving the limitations only applying to legal US businesses and the pirates free to run rampant on the other side of the block, where US surfers will likely still be able to access with a 10$/month proxy subscription.

If they actually put a solid system in place, then I guess it's another story.

[Odin]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

Unlike many I've worked in the porn industry that was censored and regulated. AND we all made money.

Men will jerk off to the lingerie section in a mail order catalogue if that's all they can find.

So stop worrying, so long as it's a level playing field and foreign sites are banned under the same rules as US ones you're going to be fine.

As for free speech. All the media you read off the Internet is subject to censorship. Even what is taught in schools is sometimes subject to censorship. Plus you have the Constitution to protect you. Will this law get pass that?

Paul I was wondering something, do they still call it a mail order bride when you move to her? Thanks.

[u-Bob]

Originally Posted by Paul Markham

Plus you have the Constitution to protect you.