SOPA
Publié le 04/12/2011
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The internet is one of the United States most significant and growing industry. It enables free and open communication among billions and it has been the backbone to protests around the world. But according to surveys, pirate websites (where you can for example illegally download music or movies) attract more than 50 billion visites a year and threathen more than 19 million american jobs.
The Stop Online Piracy Act (known as SOPA) was introduced in the House of Representatives on October 26 as a way to protect movie studios and record labels. The bill, which appears to be a way of fighting against piracy, expands the government and corporations ability to censor the net in the name of protecting « creativity ». It puts power in the hands of the entertainment industry to censor sites that engage in, enable or facilitate copyright infrigment. Corporations could then shut down websites where you can download movies, music or tv shows or any websites that the Justice Department determines to be dedicated to copyright infringment.
The bill includes sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and many more. A site can be shut down if it’s possible to post pirated content on it. It can be something as minor as you posting a copyrighted image to your facebook page.
They would be allowed to block search engines, or social Networking sites.
A hearing on SOPA has been held on November 16. On the same day Mozilla was among many internet companies to protest against the bill. They displayed black banners over their site logos with the words « STOP CENSORHIP ». Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Facebook, eBay, LinkdIn and several other have spoken out in opposition of SOPA, sending letters to key members of the U.S. Senate. Petitions have been launched all over the net (like on the website AmericanCensorship.org) and more than a billion people have sent emails of protest to the Congress. Opponents say it will break the internet, cost jobs and go against the freedom of speech.
There will be a House debate about the bill on December 15.
Survey : enquête
Bill : projet de loi
Enable : permettre
Censor : censurer
Piracy : piratage
copyright infringement : atteinte aux droits d’auteur
opponent : opposant.