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PROTECT IP Act Follows In COICA's Footsteps
Last fall, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) introduced the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), which was dubbed the "internet blacklist" by opponents worried about its broad provisions for allowing the removal of websites based on vague criteria. COICA stalled in Congress, but now Leahy has proposed a new, similar piece of legislation called the PROTECT IP Act (PDF).
"Like COICA, Protect IP expands the web of enforcement techniques by requiring advertising networks and financial transaction providers to cut ties to domains found to violate the law. But the new version now adds search engines and others to the list of providers who can be conscripted into complying with court orders. Protect IP would require 'information location tools' to 'take technically feasible and reasonable measures, as expeditiously as possible,' to remove or disable access to the site associated with a condemned domain, including blocking hypertext links to the site. ... Perhaps most worrisome of all, Protect IP adds a provision that allows copyright and trademark holders to sue the owner/operator of a domain directly. Again, the provision applies only to nondomestically-registered domains, but it allows the private party, like the government, to sue the domain name itself if the registrant does not have a US address. That's important because in all cases, once a suit is initiated, the plaintiff can ask the court to issue an injunction or restraining order effectively shutting the site down."
Because we know they need welfare to profit. They have to invent imaginary persons (corporations), and imaginary objects (intellectual property), both which defy the laws of physics in their favor but never in the favor of consumers.
Immoral corporations, they don't age, they don't die, but the powers that be expect us to accept them as persons.
Imaginary property, that is to be treated as physical objects when it's 1s and 0s, copying is equated with stealing, but the powers that be expect us to believe in it.
So in order for them to profit, we have to go schizophrenic and believe in imaginary shit which defies the laws of physics? The basis for their beliefs is unscientific at the foundation, and they don't care. They'll tell us that the earth is flat and make it true by court ruling, and then charge us to walk across the flat surface which they'll claim to own. But that doesn't change the fact that the earth is round, that they don't actually own it except on paper. They might hijack the government to protect their profits militarily, the government might believe that corporations are persons, the government might believe in their concept of intellectual property, and the government might invade privacy, abuse human rights and diminish civil rights to protect their profits, but it's all about the money right?
So get some money or suffer.
If first you don't succeed try try again.
Cannot find REALITY.SYS. Universe halted.
Boy, howdy.
Those damn Republicans are always trying to steal our freedom!
For something less centralized
out of the USA. In fact, it is time for many businesses to threaten to leave. Seriously, CONgress has gotten out of hand. We have neo-cons that run up massive debt during good economic times, totally corruption, and playing games to get keep their jobs, rather than doing their jobs.
Now, you have dems continuing their assault against anything sane WRT IP.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
I recall discussion a while back - I think it was when wikileaks had their domain names shut down - of how such a system would work: Some sort of peer-to-peer network that took the control away from any government anywhere in the world.
Our culture doesn't get smarter, it just finds new ways of being retarded.
Just keep trying to push through the same law, eventually the other side will stop bothering to fight it and you'll get it to pass.
Palm trees and 8
So, the US has more or less decided to pass an extra-territorial law?
If a domain is registered in another country, and not with a US owned TLD, what gives the US standing for this? Because they say so? WTF does it mean to sue a domain name?
And what will happen when someone in Iran decides to sue a US based organization for some form of defamation or violating their beliefs/hurting their feelings? Lawmakers need to realize they can't just go around passing laws that reach outside of their borders and jurisdiction ... otherwise, everyone will be guilty of breaking laws in every other country.
This is quite sad, and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of either the technical or jurisdictional issues of the internet.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
Information on the bill at ThomasLOC here:
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.uscongress/legislation.112s968
Odd that the title of the bill "Protect IP Act" is not listed. Instead the description is listed as its title:"A bill to prevent online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property, and for other purposes."
That "for other purposes" is, uh, worrying...as if the other part wasn't bad enough.
Also, Co-sponsors listed:
Sen Blumenthal, Richard [CT] - 5/12/2011
Sen Coons, Christopher A. [DE] - 5/12/2011
Sen Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA] - 5/12/2011
Sen Franken, Al [D-MN] - 5/12/2011
Sen Graham, Lindsey [R-SC] - 5/12/2011
Sen Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] - 5/12/2011
Sen Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT] - 5/12/2011
Sen Klobuchar, Amy [D-FL-MN] - 5/12/2011
Sen Kohl, Herb [D-WI] - 5/12/2011
Sen Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY] - 5/12/2011
Sen Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] - 5/12/2011
It's the usual cadre of Maafia owned Senators .
...swaps spit with Orrin Hatch.
Orrin is also a friend to the media companies. They needed a replacement for Senator Hollings (aka Senator Disney) so now Pat's been bought.
I'm a lifelong Democrat and this shit sucks. The thing is that there's nobody on the other side worth a damn either. It's all a bunch of rich white guys who think they know best for everyone, even if it means breaking the Internet.
Fuckers.
Not even Ron Paul is worth a damn, because maybe he's for individual rights, he's a corporatist to the bone and would sell out the entire US public, including his mom, to the corporations and would be just fine with this. That's because libertarianism is just like communism - looks fucking great on paper, but it doesn't take into account reality.
--
BMO
Why do these dinosaurs get our votes anyway? None of them know what the're talking about. They just read the talking points given to them by their handlers. Like my congress critter raging about "wiki links". Don't vote for morons.
When a company has been found to violate the law, do all other companies have to 'cut ties' with them, too? I mean, that would destroy SO many companies right this week.
This is ridiculous.
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM
yes, what we need more to improve american innovation is it kill it from the get go. who needs bin laden to kill america when we got IP?
This is so very naive. If legislators were term-limited, their unelected staff would take their place as the career-oriented power brokers of Washington, with the party's latest nominee serving a term as chief fund-raiser and public-relations face for the office. And if you term-limited the staff as well, that revolving door of new legislators and new staff every X years would lead to a greater reliance on.... that's right: lobbyists. Make no mistake about it: in a large republic, the job of legislating will be done by professionals. The only question is whether they'll be professional representatives you can fire at the ballot box, professional staffers you can try to fire through civil-service regulations, or professional lobbyists you can only fire by (heh) legislating against them. I'll opt for the first.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
I predict that PROTECT IP will get farther than COICA because it sounds more wholesome and less naughty.
http://alternatives.rzero.com/
Corporate puppets. Sellouts. That's all I have to say.
"But he's a democrat."
Oh.
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Wrong target, MafiAA. Google's got more money than the MafiAA. They're not going to allow search engines to involved in MafiAA cash shakedowns. They won't pay one thin dime to the record companies now, especially after the way the record companies treated them on the Google Music launch this week.
Google will hire all the lawyers in DC and California to make sure Protect IP is never implemented, and Google's got the money to hire all lawyers in DC and California if forced to.
Guess "PATRIOT Act" was already taken.
Lobbyists should be outlawed. The only voice Congressional representatives should be hearing are their direct constituents.
Also the Member States should be given power, via a 50% vote, to nullify any act of Congress. After all, the congress is a creation of, and a servant to, the States. (See Amendment 10 and constitutional conventions.)
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
I wish I had the time and knowledge to write a well-worded letter I could print and mail to my rep and senators.
"You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm." - S. G. Colette
We're sick of you encouraging the erosion of our liberties, the corruption of our government, and the persecution of true music/movie lovers everywhere. Go fuck your respective selves. You sit there, confident in your position outside the law's grasp, feeding off the misery of others for your own benefit. You make me sick. You're the scum-suckers of society, and you have the unabashed nerve to claim that you're actually being wronged! What is totally, completely wrong is that you guys exist in the first place.
OK, that takes care of the pirates. Where are the **AA? I'm not too fond of them either.
You know, there is a difference between trolling and pointing out the flaws in your reasoning. Just saying.
Longer term limits can help focus on long term goals without pandering to short term fads, as they don't have to worry about being elected every two years. That's why we have a mix of long and short term congresscritters. Somewhat the same with the houses of lords/commons in the UK.
But many don't think beyond their own personal interest. And that is what the business lore of this country says we're supposed to do.
I mean, that would destroy SO many companies right this week.
Not in actuality. The courts and attorneys general will target individuals, proprietorships, co-ops, unions and 'troublemaker' NGOs over the odd news clipping, HTML links, or audio/video clip. But as usual they will avoid doing this to large corporations unless Congress wants to initiate an ideologically-motivated attack (the kind of ideology that says you play by the rules of Wall Street banks and the empire that advances their interests).
Once upon a time anybody could build and operate a radio station. People would (more or less) cooperatively select non-interfering frequencies...
...but now it is today.
Tomorrow will be today for the Internet.
Why do they insist on making names that are acronyms, even when the phrase backing the acronym is convoluted and bent to fit a predetermined word? "Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property"? What the flying shit?!?
I propose the next law be called the "Stop the Heist of Information Technology, Hoping to End Anarchy in Data" Act.
FC Closer
Often, those lobbyists are their direct constituents. What you need to do is outlaw lobbying while on the clock. That's a lot more clear cut. Allow employees of companies to lobby for their employers' interests, but don't allow them to count that as work time, don't allow it to be a part of their job responsibilities, and don't allow the company to punish employees for not doing so.
Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.