Why do Wiki Care about PIPA and SOPA?

[d9f1c7]

For that matter why is anyone against it? Surely is prevents intelectual property theft etc isn't that a good thing?

[rojash]

Most people would be happy to support reasonable measure to prevent or reduce IP theft. But SOPA is draconian. It's not only Wiki that are against it - they have decided on a dramatic move to try and draw the attention of ordinary members of the public to something which until now, most of them were unaware of.

There's an explanation here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-16596577

[Kromovaracun]

It's a special-interest piece of legislation. There's a good reason that television networks and book publishers are being harmed by piracy - it's the use of a technology which they have failed to take advantage of. The web presents a (fairly) new, highly efficient, low-cost way to distribute data that people actually and increasingly want to use. The affected industries and special interests have failed to turn this into something profitable.

[rockyracoon]

Do you think this could potentially put a stop to free wifi in pubs, hotels etc, will these establishments be responsible for what is downloaded over their internet?

[Gromit]

SOPA is deeply flawed and the motives behind it are deeply suspicious. It will be interesting to see if tomorrows web strke makes people realise what could be instore if SOPA were to make it into law.

I will miss wkipedia. I use it often.

[DrFilth]

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hATC_2I1wZE

[Haggisdj]

I do think that something has to be done about piracy. There are people who now believe that it is their right to free music, films, etc. and if this isn't currently harming the music and film industry I'm sure it will in the future...

[B00]

"There are people who now believe that it is their right to free music, films, etc."

Pay? PAY??? For films and music...?

Escuse me while I sit down in shock...

[jake-the-peg]

While you sit down in shock...

and watch an ITV film or listen to some music on the radio?

[B00]

Good idea, I'll put True Movies on and watch a Made For TV film, they always cheer me up :-)

[Kromovaracun]

"There are people who now believe that it is their right to free music, films, etc. and if this isn't currently harming the music and film industry I'm sure it will in the future..."

The internet represents a highly efficient, (more or less) instant, low-cost and popular means of distribution that people want to use. It is one that the various industries threatened by it are threatened by because they have failed to take advantage of it and have simply reacted aggressively. The idea that governments should intervene and save them from advancing technology by constraining the consumer is totally unsustainable.

[Canary42]

We've already had examples of how apparently innocent legislation is misused in a most draconian way by authorities (e.g. anti-terrorist laws used on people never likely to be a terrorist threat) - hence the antagonism. Understandable.

[Gromit]

Piracy is a problem. An even bigger problem is the idocy of the film business clutching to old distribution models.

I want to watch the new Sherlock Holmes movie and I am prepared to pay good money to watch it. I cannot download it from the film studio, iTunes, Amazon, Love Film or NetFlix. Not for any technical reason, just because they won't allow it. I can download it from dozens of sites and not pay anything for it.

And instead of fixing their problem, the studios waste their time on lobbying their representatives to bring in useless legislation such as SOPA which results in all of us being restricted online.

[Gromit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

[Oneeyedvic]

I used to download a lot of programs / applications illegally. When I got an iPhone, that changed as the cost was pennies as opposed to £100 + pounds.
Same as music - to download a song was 79p as opposed to over £12 for an album (only one or two songs which I listened to)

Apple have been very clever (and made huge profits) out of this and it certainly has stifled any creative talent as a lot of apps are very creative.

As Krom says, it is down to who embraces technological changes, and who tries to fight it

[bibblebub]

the Guardian have included an animation as a guide to what it's about http://www.guardian.c...piracy-act?intcmp=239