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EA, Nintendo, Sony Quietly Withdraw SOPA Support

Posted by timothy on from the revising-their-ok-cupid-profiles dept.

wbr1 writes "Electronista reports that Sony, Nintendo, and Electronic Arts have all pulled their support for SOPA, but have not issued any statements as to why. The house.gov list of SOPA supporters is here."

15 of 204 comments (clear)

  1. Anonymous Threatened Sony by eldavojohn · · Score: 5, Interesting

    There's no way to know if this influenced it but Anonymous threatened Sony on Youtube (transcript here and a few more specifics here) the other day. Of course, even if that did influence Sony I'm sure the last thing you'd want is to send Anonymous the message that they can push you around so don't bother waiting for admission/explanation.

    Looking at this list, there's far better targets of groups of lawyers and lobbyists that don't do a goddamn thing or sell any tangible product. Not sure why those wouldn't be prioritized by Anonymous but, well, that's crowdsourcing for you. Maybe they identified Sony as the biggest fish that would disrupt the highest number of placated sheep who might actually contact their senator when their opiate flow is disturbed? Nahhhh ...

    --
    My work here is dung.
    1. Re:Anonymous Threatened Sony by JavaBear · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Short answer: If Sony had felt threatened by Anonymous, it would only have strengthened their resolve.

      No, IMHO the reason these corporations have withdrawn their support may be twofold, one may just be because they are starting to realize that SOPA may very well backfire on them legally. With SOPA there is no real competition left, and in that environment, what you can do to your competitors, they can do to you just as well.

      However the most recent event, which I think shaped their decision, is the customer reaction to GoDaddy's support for SOPA. That told them that customers are actually willing talking with their wallet, and when they do, it can hurt them.

    2. Re:Anonymous Threatened Sony by Technician · · Score: 5, Insightful

      SONY is only one player. I just got off the phone leaving voice mail for some others on the list. Call them. Write them. Let your voice be heard. Give examples. First I told them I understood that piracy of film and music is a problem. I then told them I could shut down Slashdot, Picasa, Photobucket, Makezine, and many anti scam websites, etc for posting photos and text that users shared but did not make. Sites I use to promote my work would be shut down if this passes. Make it clear that the piracy is a problem, but the proposed solution would shut down sites individuals use. We do not need the Internet to become just another TV or radio station for big media. The Internet would be of no use if that happens.

      Slashdot could be shut down for most everything placed in quotes. This is WRONG.

      --
      The truth shall set you free!
    3. Re:Anonymous Threatened Sony by erroneus · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Actually, I rather doubt that had anything to do with it at all.

      Sony and its leaders are pretty arrogant. They know any attack is temporary. They might have to stop online sales or the collection of sales/personal data on internet connected servers or things like that, but it wouldn't otherwise faze them.

      No, what I think got to them is the tremendous and mobile public response made against the likes of Go Daddy. I'm ever so proud of our internet. And by internet, I don't mean the network devices, ISPs and other business and government presence. I mean the people who use it. You reading this now are the internet... the 'series of tubes' that you are. :)

      The internet is really coming into its own as a force for public expression and more importantly for change in the public's interest. It's the last chance the world really has for "peaceful revolution" as it were. For a lot of us, we imagine there will be jack-boots marching across the US and small groups of resistance everywhere. It's not that hard to imagine really. But lately, it seems the business interests which pay [read: buy] the government is having its money supply threatened. That's where the real fear comes into play.

      Fact is, most of all this 'online piracy' is over things which aren't necessary for life. It's entertainment. There will always be entertainment even if we have to sing and play it for ourselves. (YouTube has proven that well enough I think) If people get pissed off enough to boycott any of them in large numbers for any amount of time, they will not just interrupt cash flow for the short term, people will begin to realize that a world without Sony or Nintendo would be... not so different... not so bad. And believe me -- a Linux based F/OSS console and gaming network would spring up so fast with Google's Android as the core, it would become a huge game changer.

      They can't afford to piss off their customers any longer. THAT's the fear you are witnessing them act on.

    4. Re:Anonymous Threatened Sony by RyuuzakiTetsuya · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I don't think Sony gives two left shits about Anons.

      It's probably when Kotaku and the rest of the gaming news media caught on to who's supporting SOPA did they shit their pants.

      --
      Non impediti ratione cogitationus.
  2. But The Really Didn't.... by mlauzon · · Score: 5, Informative

    Because Nintendo, Sony, and EA are members of the ESA, and the ESA supports SOPA, means that Nintedo, Sony, and EA support SOPA!

    --
    Michael
    http://s1.sfgame.us/index.php?rec=58163
    1. Re:But The Really Didn't.... by hairyfeet · · Score: 5, Interesting

      There have been a lot of articles specifically about Microsoft and Apple pushing the ESA to back off SOPA. There may be some dissension in the ranks.

      Don't know about Apple but you can understand why with MSFT as piracy is their bestest friend! just look at how quick they backed off that reduced functionality mode on Vista when it looked like the pirates would stay on XP, having the number of websites reporting MSFT OSes having no way to distinguish pirate versions from legit gives MSFT higher numbers which helps them sell more copies to OEMs. Can you imagine how quickly someone would invest in Linux to come up with a version that worked for the masses if Windows piracy was ended tomorrow and everyone had to pay retail? Hell Windows 7 is easier to pirate than XP and Vista ever was!

      These companies are starting to realize that SOPA is a good way to shoot themselves in the head because the one that is a pirate now ends up being a paying customer later with the knowledge to use their software, just ask adobe with PhotoShop. i bet every Photoshop customer was a one time kid that pirated the thing and by the time they got out into the world the had PS skills which meant more customers for Adobe. Wasn't it Gates that said "If they are gonna pirate i want them to pirate from us"? I know I saw Ballmer a few years ago give an interview where he said flat footed to the effect "I couldn't care less about some kid passing a copy of XP around the dorm room, i care about the boat coming from Manila with pirate copies that are so good i can't tell them apart" because he knew that piracy keeps people using MSFT software!

      I just wish Ballmer wasn't such a dipshit as he had literally tripped over a way to end Windows piracy in the west and let it slip away. That $50 Win 7 HP upgrade which would install on a clean drive frankly was amazing, I saw guys who had NEVER owned a legit Windows suddenly all running legal copies of Windows. Its just a damned shame these companies can't see what Valve saw years ago, which is the trick is not to ruin the web with draconian laws trying to end piracy but to get the pirates switched over into paying users. I'd love to see what kind of money they made off the Xmas sale this year as i bet it was truly insane because by making their service cheap and easy it literally is easier to buy from Steam than pirate anymore. Too bad the others like the MPAA can't seem to catch that clue.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
  3. If it was quiet... by houstonbofh · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "EA, Nintendo, Sony Quietly Withdraw SOPA Support"

    If it was quiet, they still support it. They just don't want to lose as many customers.

  4. Not Entirely Withdrawn by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    They have only reduced their support, rather than fully withdrawn it.

    According to Destructoid they are still members of The ESA which still supports SOPA.

    1. Re:Not Entirely Withdrawn by NewWorldDan · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Well, of course. They still support it, they just don't want to announce that they support it and all the bad press, gamer retaliatation and vigilante attacks (ie., anonymous) that that implies, so they hide behind an industry trade group.

  5. Where is the list of objectors? by wrwetzel · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I suspect that the list of objectors is much longer than that of supporters. It would be good to see that, too. It would be especially good for Congress to see that side-by-side with the list of supporters. Bill

    1. Re:Where is the list of objectors? by iateyourcookies · · Score: 5, Informative

      This (second half) is as close as I have found: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3261/money Permission granted to be amused by the 3rd listed "organization".

  6. Is it me... by hilather · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Or are there only corporations on the list of supporters. Are there no individuals left? Or are they just not worth listing?

  7. Re:Concerned Women for America (CWA) by anonymov · · Score: 5, Funny

    You know that "You wouldn't download a car" adage? Well, Jesus would and could.

    He distributed illegal copies of bread and fish (see, no theft, just copying) depriving fishermen and bakers of their profits and circumvented DRM to upgrade water to wine bypassing the winery and proper grapes fermentation process.

  8. Re:This may be the way out by webheaded · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No...the corporate money completely drowns out any individual contributions. I can damn near guarantee that.

    --
    "Those who would sacrifice essential liberties for a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - BenF