Technology

Wikipedia Will Officially Blackout in Protest of Anti-Piracy Act This Wednesday

The co-founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales is giving students fair warning: they should do their homework before Wednesday when the site will go dark, along with other sites, in protest of anti-piracy legislation under consideration in Congress.

Wikipedia, Other Sites Prepare for Wednesday Blackout to Protest SOPA

Facebook post by Jimmy Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia.

The English versions of Wikipedia will shut down for 24 hours to make a point against the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect Intellectual Property Act pending in Congress, an action Wikipedia polled its readers over last month.

Wikipedia, Other Sites Prepare for Wednesday Blackout to Protest SOPA

Jimmy Wales announced that Wikipedia would blackout for 24 hours in SOPA protest on Wednesday.

The legislation is designed to crack down on sales of pirated U.S. products overseas. Critics say it could hurt the technology industry and infringes on free-speech rights.

Wikipedia is not the first website to announce plans to shut down but is the most well-known, with an estimated 25 million visitors a day. Reddit, Boing Boing, Anonymous and other online sites also have plans to go dark. According to SlashGear, Reddit, a “crowd-curated site”, will blackout for eight hours showing a message that reveals who the site would be affected should the legislation pass.

Even the White House has expressed concerns over SOPA recently. According to The Blaze, it understands the importance of fighting against piracy and counterfeiting on the Internet but also thinks it could undermine “the dynamic, innovative global Internet.”

White House officials wrote in a blog post that it would not support pending legislation.

“Any effort to combat online piracy must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation by our dynamic businesses large and small,” the White House said.

Watch MSNBC’s “Up with Chris Hayes” (via the New York Times blog) that hosted a debate yesterday between NBC Universal’s chief lawyer Richard Cotton and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian:

 

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

Comments (119)

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  • hwcmo4
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 10:29am

    If this passes you could get fined for singing happy birthday to you kids and makes most of the posters on the Blaze potential felons for using photos that are someone elses “intellectual property”. This is a terrible bill and another sign that the government is completely out of control. Next is blocking sites that speak ill of the government or more likely just fining them to make a few bucks.

    Report Post »  
    • warchief65
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 4:37pm

      What did you expect from a Commie ? A biscuit ?

      Report Post »  
    • flntlok1949
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 5:04pm

      A better way of fighting piracey might be to stop trading with Nations where it is occuring until THEY clean up their own act! Guess it’s just easier to make Americans suffer – just as it is easier to make honest gun owners suffer for the acts perpetrated by criminals using guns!!

      Report Post »  
    • BloodSweatandTears
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 7:23pm

      Kind of like the new bill in D.C where rats & their families (the four legged kind) are protected ad nausea um?

      Report Post »  
    • masters11111
      Posted on January 18, 2012 at 3:18am

      Supporters of PIPA and SOPA: RIAA, MPAA, News Corp, TimeWarner, Walmart, Nike, Tiffany, Chanel, Rolex, Sony, Juicy Couture, Ralph Lauren, VISA, Mastercard, Comcast, ABC, Dow Chemical, Monster Cable, Teamsters, Rupert Murdoch, Lamar Smith (R-TX), John Conyers (D-MI)

      Opponents of PIPA and SOPA: Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, AOL, Mozilla, Reddit, Tumblr, Etsy, Zynga, EFF, ACLU, Human Rights Watch, Darrell Issa (R-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX)

      Report Post »  
    • 2theADDLED
      Posted on January 18, 2012 at 6:31pm

      @ masters11111
      A lot of computer related companies are built on opensource or the GNU public license where computer apps and software is free to build and improve just about anything that is not Microsoft is probably opensource. one example is the Firefox browser which was developed with programmers from various countries collaborating together and is safer than explorer that is Microsofts offering. This is seen as a threat to Microsoft and others. The U.S. is so far behind in computer technology that Microsoft has to Visa in programmers and and other foreigners to write it’s programs. If you would read the GNU public license and see if you agree.

      Report Post »  
  • Tyler520
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 9:46am

    Why are people acting like this would be a bad thing?

    Report Post »  
    • AmericanBumpkin
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 10:13am

      because this bill and the other one congress is trying to pass can give police, fbi, cia and any other crime precinct the ability to file felony charges to anyone who even so much has a mario mushroom pic (or any other copywrited media) on their computer and any social network that person might use. including fines as high as $100million (last i checked).
      it could also potentially shut down places like netflix, wikipedia, and any webblogs that deal in critiquing different media from games to movies to sports to youtube, etc.. that dont have explicit permission to use footage from the companies that own the rights to the material used. it would also fine anyone using file-sharing sites like pirate bay, which is based outside the US, to download movies and programs for free.
      congress is trying to put mandates on a world wide tool people use every day in an attempt to police something they really dont have controll over.
      so yes… its a huge freaking deal… it infringes on free speech and expression more than it would do anything to prevent piracy. you, your mom and your kids could easily become FELONS under this bill.

      Report Post »  
    • Quandary
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 12:21pm

      Let me get this straight. This incompetent federal government that operates on kneejerk reactions, political correctness and complete inefficiency would be in control of where you can and cannot go on the internet on a whim … and you have to ask why this would be a bad thing?

      Report Post »  
    • TeriPettit
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 12:30pm

      I oppose SOPA and PIPA, and have signed lots of petitions against them, but a lot of the opposition arguments misrepresent what the bills would do.

      They do not give the govt the power to shut down a site that has a home video with someone singing a copyrighted song, or a blog post with the lyrics to one, or a few clips from copyrighted movies mixed in with other stuff. It clearly describes a blacklisted pirate site as being one that is INTENDED FOR and PRIMARILY DEVOTED to distributing pirated software and digital media. A mixed content site like YouTube wouldn’t count, because that isn’t its primary intent.

      The trouble is that it gives very hefty fines to any other site that LINKS TO or ADVERTISES ON a pirate site. Search engines and public content sites like Google, YouTube, Facebook, blog engines, etc., have little control over what links show up on them. And advertisers who use distribution engines have little control over where ads get pushed. That’s why it would stifle innovation, by requiring a whole bunch of new filtering software to be built into anything that pushes ads or accepts links.

      It‘s like imposing huge fines on a newspaper if it’s found to have a want ad that turned out to be posted by a professional fence of stolen goods.

      Report Post »  
    • RavenGlenn
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:17pm

      TERI:

      And who does the bill allow to establish what ” It clearly describes a blacklisted pirate site as being one that is INTENDED FOR and PRIMARILY DEVOTED to distributing pirated software and digital media.” means?

      Oh…that’s right…it puts all of that into the hands of the very companies that are looking to curb the piracy issues…IE major companies like Viacom.

      You think they won’t slam down on youtube? Reddit? Megaupload? Photobucket? I have some beachfront property in South Dakota you might be interested in if you don’t.

      Not only that, but it makes every site responsible for what their users put on it. If you allow pictures, videos, comments, etc then the SITE is responsible for what is posted, NOT the users. So youtube would likely crumble. Either that, or they will be taking down any and everything so as not to be charged with felony offenses.

      While a lot of people are going a little overboard with their SOPA outcry, you are WAY underportraying what exactly SOPA will do.

      If anyone wants a better idea of what SOPA is or why it is such a big deal, take a look at this video. This man is British and is still helping bring this to attention as it affects the entire world.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhwuXNv8fJM&feature=plcp&context=C36be057UDOEgsToPDskIvhD5brnOR4twcTWEaOxiD

      Report Post »  
    • Black Eagle
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 3:07pm

      I know authors of small-press books who went bankrupt because of internet piracy of their works. They do research and study for years on a subject, write it up, get it into a new book with much expense, and then some criminal air-head makes a PDF scan and posts it to Pirate Bay which allows anyone to then copy at will. It is theft, pure and simple. Most of the people protesting this are simply wanting to defend their rights to be a crook, stealing “free” music and movies without having to pay a dime. They are the kind of dirt-bags who would leave you bleeding in the street after being hit by a car, except to pick your wallet out of your pocket and laugh about it. And wikipedia is the most unreliable source. Any student using it for information deserves to be flunked, for the reason that nothing on its pages can be secured or authenticated, any germ-brained drooler can write anything they want, while another famatic comes along and erases whatever they don’t like. Remember how the CO2 warming fanatics erased all the stuff they didn’t like from Wikipedia. The world would be better off if they shut their doors forever.

      Report Post »  
    • TeriPettit
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 3:34pm

      Look, I do oppose these bills, I’m just saying that it is better to oppose them based on what they really say. Does this site allow links? If so, I’ll link to the text of the bills on OpenCongress.

      I agree the bills present a danger to user content sites, but it is because those sites might accidentally LINK TO the blacklisted pirate sites, not because they might themselves be blacklisted. There are only 20 sites that fit the definition, and they are all offshore.

      Report Post »  
    • TeriPettit
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 3:37pm

      Here is the text of the letter that I sent to my representatives:

      My job is a software developer. I’ve been employed by Adobe for 24 years, am a co-inventor on 7 software patents, and in 1978-1986 was one of the developers of the Xerox Star, the system that introduced the graphical desktop metaphor to computing. So I understand very well the costs of software piracy to industry.

      But the PIPA and SOPA bills are NOT the way to fight piracy or copyright infringement!! These bills risk allowing the government to fine or shut down web sites like Facebook, YouTube and blogging hosts if they do not adequately filter out links to the pirate sites. Identifying and filtering all links is too difficult for any public access site to enforce, places them at risk of expensive litigation, and could easily lead to reducing freedom of speech. Public upload sites on the internet are our only truly free speech forum, where it doesn’t cost big bucks and licenses for anyone to reach the public ear. Public access sites MUST remain unfettered and unconstrained to have a free democracy!

      Piracy is a real cost, but it must be addressed in a dual prong way, by combining technology that makes it harder for copied works to run or play, with better tools for identifying and prosecuting the profiteers. Placing an enforcement burden on providers of internet services to isolate the pirate sites is not the answer.

      Report Post »  
    • Joanne
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 4:24pm

      @TeriPettit:

      Terri, may I have permission to copy and use your letter (that you wrote to your reps) to reference when I contact my reps or even just send a copy of yours? You’re obviously very knowledgeable about this subject because of your profession. I on the other hand only know that I don’t want the internet infringed upon for general reasons. I‘d certainly make sure to specify who the letter is from and wouldn’t try and take credit for it, etc. I just want to send something very concise and intelligent to my reps.

      Thanks,
      Joanne

      Report Post » Joanne  
    • mareseb
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 4:24pm

      Surely you can’t be that confused?

      Report Post »  
    • warchief65
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 4:49pm

      A bad thing ? It’s what Commie State does . Shut down the internet , shut down the people . You can’t even use your cd to play music , because you didn’t get the right to listen to it from the company that made it . Don’t think so ? Try it in about 3 months . You will become a felon , along with most of America . The only one‘s who won’t be , will be the government . One big step to become a Commie State . Thanks Hussein . They already have to right to watch what you say on every site like this one .

      Report Post »  
    • warchief65
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 5:01pm

      Terri , you so blind . Did you watch the clip that came with this article ? Singing “ Happy Birthday ” on the internet will put you in the Big House , for at least 5 years . Why ? Because you didn’t get the okay from the people who own the rights to that song . And probably another 5 , unless you have a couple million laying around to cover the fine(s) too . Anything and everything will under cover from that law . Don’t think so ? Try and post singing happy birthday on any site on 6 months . You’re in for a rude awaking .

      Report Post »  
    • Ronko
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 6:09pm

      Both PIPA and SOPA are huge power grabs by the govt and corporations. I‘m all for stopping Piracy but there’s a better way then taking away some of our god given rights.

      Report Post »  
    • 2theADDLED
      Posted on January 18, 2012 at 5:42am

      There are better was to deal with it but there is always someone who is smarter and will figure a way around any attempt to censor. I hear that Windows 8 will restrict what programs you can run on it unless it is vetted to Microsoft. So say you use a thirdparty application and it is not vetted you will no longer be able to use that application.

      Report Post »  
  • bamaboy1626
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 9:02am

    you’ll never get them to admit it, but the record companies and the movie industry know that piracy contributes to profits when they use it to their advantage. They‘re just pissed that it’s keeping them honest by ensuring that the music and films they produce need to be top notch.

    Report Post »  
    • Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 9:55am

      That’s a pile of crap. It doesn’t matter the quality of something. Anyone under 30 is likely to download it either way. It’s not like downloaders hear something and go “whoa this is awesome. I’d better go pay for this”

      they don’t

      Report Post » Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American  
    • ClassicalLiberal
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:54am

      I disagree.

      When Napster existed, I downloaded music 12 hours a day.

      That said, I ended up purchasing almost 40 cd’s that year to support those I really liked. the others never got listened to so its like not having owned them at all.

      I still get the point, you dont HAVE to buy the product and many will go along with that. Just not everyone.

      Report Post » ClassicalLiberal  
    • warchief65
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 5:14pm

      Pirating doesn’t “ help ” the companies . It eats at their cost . In turn , it costs us to own that music or movie . But , under this law , we can’t even buy a CD or movie , and take it home to listen or watch it , because you didn’t get the right to play it . That’s what it comes to . And that’s what the law is saying . And that’s what Hussein is counting on , by having that law passed , to shut down the internet , plain and simple , boys and girls . Plain and simple .

      Report Post »  
  • The Eleventh Doctor
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 8:55am

    Wikipedia is not at all a reliable source, so I don’t care. But I’m glad someone is standing up. Kudos, Wikipedia.

    Report Post » The Eleventh Doctor  
    • Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 9:57am

      Wiki is pretty reliable. It‘s a good starting point and it’s been cited in court by judges and lawyers.

      For every person putting incorrect info on wikipedia, there is an army of nerd experts with no lives who are fixing the info.

      Report Post » Bible Quotin' Science Fearin' Conservative American  
    • AmericanBumpkin
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 10:30am

      @BQSFCA
      lol exactly.

      Report Post »  
    • SychinLegacy
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:50pm

      Wikipedia has been found in many studies to be more accurate on average than the Encyclopedia Britannica. THis is because wikipedia has a full time editorial staff that all they do is monitor changes and verify them for accuracy. If they aren’t found accurate they are quickly deleted. Go try and edit a page. Chances are it will be edited back within five minutes.

      Report Post » SychinLegacy  
    • Black Eagle
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 3:14pm

      Wikipedia is junk. The “army of nerd experts” are often self-indulgent ignoramuses, who will scrub out anything they don’t like. Remember how Wikipedia had its entire site scrubbed of all things which were critical of the CO2 theory of global warming. That was done by a cabal of warmers and their friends in the universities. If a court or judge uses Wikipedia as evidence, then we are doomed, as it is no better than using heresay or gossip.

      Report Post »  
    • mocatz187
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 4:47pm

      That’s total BS. Wikipedia taught me how to use the GCC compiler in programming and was the only source I could find to get GCC to output assembly code from higher level programming languages. It’s articles on critical mass required to make a nuclear bomb are very accurate & will help people understand reports from the IAEA. Yes, hot button topics like global warming, religion, Palestinians/Israeli’s etc. can be inaccurate at times because of editing but the fact is the technical information is some of the best out there.

      Report Post »  
    • warchief65
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 5:28pm

      Actually , Wiki is not the best , it’s only a starting point for lawyers and judges . Which , by the way , a lawyer will have a different view of the laws than a judge does . It doesn’t mean they are the smartest people on the planet , it only means they have robbed more than any person did with a gun .

      Report Post »  
    • foobear
      Posted on January 18, 2012 at 1:00am

      @Synchin: “THis is because wikipedia has a full time editorial staff that all they do is monitor changes and verify them for accuracy.”

      LOL. No.

      Wikipedia does not have anything along those lines. It has around 100 employees, which mainly keep the lights on and the servers running. The employees certainly do not police the content. The users do.

      That said, many kudos to them to have the courage to stand up to SOPA/PIPA. The music and film industries have bribed (sorry, “campaign contributions”) our congressmen to the tune of $90,000,000 dollars, and are calling their chips in on this one.

      If anyone want to know why Citizens United is a horrible thing, and why businesses shouldn’t be allowed to bribe (sorry, again contribute to campaigns) congressmen, this is the perfect example why.

      Report Post » foobear  
    • TheJeffersonian
      Posted on January 18, 2012 at 2:31pm

      @Foobear,

      It does has an enormous group of dedicated editors working daily to maintain accuracy, which is I believe what he was getting at. Of course, it’ll never be completely accurate given the massive amount of data it contains, but its standards (particularly for prominent articles) are increasingly high every day. Articles governing major scientific facts and findings, particularly those that are disputed by political groups, are policed for changes 24/7 by countless volunteer editors.

      Report Post » TheJeffersonian  
  • Roy Baty
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 8:43am

    Children want everything for free including someone else’s work.

    Report Post »  
  • zman173rd
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 8:40am

    Before too long we’ll be forced to pay 1 penny per email because WE”RE the reason tte U.S. Post Office can’t meet it oblogations. The government is in EVERYTHING. They will control Everything. There will come a time when if you buy or sell ANYTHING on the net it will be taxed. IT”S TOO LATE. Beck won’t admit there WILL be a revolution, it’s only natural. Just so you monitors at the governement offices know, I”M NOT FOR IT. That new law that went into affect Obama signed “with reservations” will silence all with a voice against tyrany. Good luck, you’ll need it.

    Report Post » zman173rd  
  • jedi.kep
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 8:31am

    I hate Wikipedia. The thing always changes and the information is always slanted to the liberal side. WORTHLESS source of information.

    Report Post » jedi.kep  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:14am

      When it comes to something I consider IMPORTANT — Multiple sources are used by me.

      something casual oh say the Wahlberg article Wiki by itself is Ok

      Wiki is an encyclopedia

      Report Post » Stoic one  
    • Stoic one
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 11:39am

      for that matter, I do not take the Blaze at it’s word either…..
      I have reference BOOKS of enduring works that I can place in my grubbing little fingers.
      Also I realize that the TRUTH requires work to ferret out.
      The Internet has made this possible
      Do you think the forced transparency of the actions of our government would be possible without the web?

      Report Post » Stoic one  
    • Joanne
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 4:36pm

      I like Wiki for quick references. But if I needed info that I knew MUST be accurate I‘d certainly research MUCH further than Wiki since I’m aware anyone can put info there. Like Jedi said it‘s liberal leaning and therefore slanted in it’s information (detailed information). It can still be a good ‘starting point’ however.

      Frankly simply ‘Googling’ can bring up a plethora of good info and sources on pretty much any question someone might have. I do that FAR more than I EVER use Wiki.

      Report Post » Joanne  
  • GroundZero is Nuclear Demolition x3
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 8:27am

    Read “Pirates of the Digital Millenium”, about Copy right law, DMCA. They show a high and low “piracy rate” that is BENEFICIAL to the recording industry. W/o piracy, they ppl wouldn’t even know their products exist, and/or wouldn’t pay to use them anyway. Time Warner makes $1million a year on “happy birthday”, why should they get benefits from something they did not create?

    Report Post »  
  • caleejr
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 8:25am

    Where does YOUR representative stand on this legislation? Do you know? Do you care? Why?

    Report Post » caleejr  
  • Gonzo
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 7:54am

    Oh gosh, no Wikki? Will the sun still come up?

    Report Post » Gonzo  
  • Choctaw25
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 7:10am

    This is nothing more than corrupt, greedy politicans sticking their nose into everyones business. A bunch of Hollywood druggies and pimped out Rap thugs are worried that someone might reproduce their trash and sell it.
    It was the same thing as Peer-to-Peer music exchanges. They shut all of them down so Apple could dominate the music with it’s Itunes and keep the cost of everything within their control.
    I have over 25,000 songs in my music library and not a single one of them is a pirated copy. I know other DJ’s with double, triple that amount, and it’s not pirated music. If I can’t share my music with my friends and relatives, then the U. S. Federal government needs to stay out of my life along with the rest of the worlds lives.

    Report Post » Choctaw25  
  • grannyrecipe
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 5:54am

    The internet is nothing more than private “phone calls” with pictures…all privately owned.

    If SOPA passes it will be equal to you violating the law if you sing a protected song to a friend over the phone. Fahrenheit 451 anyone?

    Report Post » grannyrecipe  
    • 100 Million Patriots Standing
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 6:21am

      Government control of the internet is a bad thing…. but

      24 hours is a large chunk of non occupy web space. Why not 36 hours, or 8 hours, or no hours.

      There is something about this that we are not getting, Maybe it’s just the simple fact that we are being conditioned to believe that government control of the internet is appropriate. Many of the opposing comments from the major players have more to do with the level of intrusion rather than whether the government should be even introducing any bills whatsoever. Shutting down things in protest is on par with shutting down ports, streets, parks, commerce, and moves us continually in the direction of direct democracy. Right now it’s just Wikipedia and a few others, but it’s also an acceptance of the ultilization of strikes and shut-downs that will ramp up any time and with the real potential to become widespread.

      Besides; George Soros is a funder of Wikipedia…..and he (and the White House) believes in control of everything (especially free speech, somethings not right……

      Report Post » 100 Million Patriots Standing  
    • TomFerrari
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 10:51am

      They’ve been in financial trouble for a while.
      I suspect this is a stunt for media attention.
      Yay for them.
      Personally, I don’t use it aside from the very least important inquiries,
      AND to see what is being scrubbed from the web.
      When obama declared Congress in recess even thought it wasn’t, I went to Wikipedia and sure enough, all reference to harry reid having used gavel-in sessions to stop Bush’s recess appointments was completely scrubbed. It has since reappeared, but anyone can edit Wikipedia, which makes it totally unreliable.

      Report Post » TomFerrari  
  • Lilybean
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 4:47am

    We need to STOP SOPA!!!! Here’s a good videa that explains it some more.

    http://vimeo.com/31100268

    Report Post »  
  • nzkiwi
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 4:24am

    What can wikieda and others hope to acheive?

    One does not persuade by taking one’s ball and going home. One merely invites contempt.

    How about a reasoned and compelling arguement? True that may not succeed, but it has a better chance than this petulant action.

    Report Post »  
    • ArthurAM
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 6:06pm

      what it does is it calls attention to the issue to people who may not have been keeping up with it. someone who has no idea about SOPA or PIPA goes to Wikipedia and sees the blackout alone with the reason posted on the page they will be on the phone with their congressman in minutes.

      SOPA and PIPA is about more than “Piracy” it is about controlling and censoring content on the internet which is something that should not be allowed to happen. at least no here in the US.

      Keep the government out of my internet thank you very much!

      Report Post »  
  • Commerce Exchange
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 3:46am

    SOPA and PIPA are just another glimpse of big bro gov. keep the internet free is our only true sense of freedom. our cartoon. http://goo.gl/fVfeF

    Report Post » Commerce Exchange  
  • Jackie Rogers, Jr.
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:52am

    Whew! OK, this is much better.

    Report Post » Jackie Rogers, Jr.  
  • mauijonny
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:41am

    Supporters of SOPA: RIAA, MPAA, News Corp, TimeWarner, Walmart, Nike, Tiffany, Chanel, Rolex, Sony, Juicy Couture, Ralph Lauren, VISA, Mastercard, Comcast, ABC, Dow Chemical, Monster Cable, Teamsters, Rupert Murdoch, Lamar Smith (R-TX), John Conyers (D-MI)

    Opponents of SOPA: Google, Yahoo, Wikipedia, craigslist, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, eBay, AOL, Mozilla, Reddit, Tumblr, Etsy, Zynga, EFF, ACLU, Human Rights Watch, Darrell Issa (R-CA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Ron Paul (R-TX)

    Report Post » mauijonny  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:50am

      Nazi Pelosi is just playing a good cop. She would oppose as long as a majority of democommies are for it.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
    • AmericanBumpkin
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 10:39am

      notice the majority of companies you listed that are for these stupi bills are not based in the U.S.

      Report Post »  
    • TeriPettit
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 3:43pm

      Thanks for the list, Maui Johnny. It shows that the support and the opposition are both bipartisan:

      Here are some more:

      Support:
      Disney, Random House, Macmillan, Comcast, Marvel, MCA Records, Universal, NFL, AFL-CIO, US Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau

      Oppose:
      Microsoft, Sandia Labs, Cato Institute, Demand Progress, Creative Commons, Daily Kos, MoveOn, Competitive Enterprise Institute, Freedom House, Redstate, Tea Party Patriots, OpenCongress, FireDogLake, PJ Media

      Congressional Opponents:

      John Campbell (R-CA)
      Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
      Mike Doyle (D-PA)
      Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
      Mike Honda (D-CA)
      Darrell Issa (R-CA)
      Zoe Lofgren (D-CA)
      Doris Matsui (D-CA)
      George Miller (D-CA)
      Ron Paul (R-KY)
      Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)
      Jared Polis (D-CO)
      Mike Thompson (D-CA)
      Ron Wyden (D-OR)

      Report Post »  
  • lylejk
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:26am

    I’m all for fair use and against this idiotic bill too. I know folk deserve to make money for their work, but there is a fine line between getting rewarded for doing your job and greed. There’s little that can be done about Congress pushing this bill but not doing anything to curb spending. Betcha that BO will sign the bill too. Anything that gives BO more power he will sign. Next, they will figure out a way to directly tax the internet (they already indirectly do so). :)

    Report Post » lylejk  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:36am

      BO is making noises for CYA/political expediency purposes, but he would sign the bill in no time.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • sane_man
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:04am

    Funny how both Obama and Wikipedia are not for this bill, and yet both get trashed for the way they oppose it. Amazing how zealous ideology and information bubbles converge to making people so violently against something or someone that they cannot bring themselves to EVER EVER say, “Well I don’t really like the guy or agree with those people but that was a good move” Never happen. Never ever happen.

    Report Post »  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:31am

      The main reason being it’s premature. Until the utopian paradise on earth is established by bleeding heart (I give them a propensity to a lot of imagination in that regard) do-gooders, the propaganda machine has to go on. Once the paradise is established, only the correct messages must be allowed to be disbursed.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • elf1362
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:47am

    SOPA is already dead even if it is voted. The poor guy on the video is worried for his job in front of the pro-SOPA msnbc big guy, it is hurting to watch and the guy is courageous to state the truth despite the pression.

    Report Post »  
    • HippoNips
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:52am

      Wikpedia blackout?

      Well there is blessing . The world wont be misinfomed about every frigging thing for awhile

      Report Post »  
    • sane_man
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:57am

      HIPPONIPS I think it will just be you who remains misinformed. Wikipedia is one of the best things mankind has done in quite a while.

      Report Post »  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:34am

      Insane, why do you think the student aren’t allowed to submit homework sourced on wikipedia? And considering that the edu system is of a decidedly leftist tilt… that should give you a pause.

      So, why do you think?

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:41am

      Just to be clear, I dislike the bill intensely. But knowing lefties in all forms and incarnations (been around for a while), they are being hypocritical. Their idea of a fair information is that it’s fair for them to distribute it, not fair if others can do it.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
    • sane_man
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:47am

      You telling me students can‘t use Wikipedia as verifiable source of information because it’s not factual? I don’t believe that. Let me go look it up on Wikipedia. :-)

      But seriously – independent studies have shown Wikipedia to be at least as factual as any other encyclopedia publication.

       
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 3:13am

      I’ve found a lot of incorrect information in wiki articles in all spheres of knowledge. It serves a good intro purpose on many subjects, but people should be aware that they can’t take the info to the bank.

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
  • ZomBrad
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:41am

    I can’t believe this is actually going through…..but at the same time I can >.>

    Report Post »  
  • 4-The-Truth
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:36am

    I agree “We all need to come together and stop SOPA (house) and PIPA (senate)” This even makes me want to donate to Wiki for the first time to support their position on this.

    Report Post » 4-The-Truth  
  • ZaphodsPlanet
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:33am

    Oh NO… what will I do for my source of half baked information? Now…. if Yahoo, Google and Bing blocked all web sites ending in “.gov” for a week….. now we’d be talking…. or if it all links that come up with a .gov listing linked to extensive information about how and why SOPA is so bad and not the original target, that would be good too.

    BTW people… SOPA looks way bad. It is far too vague and generalized to not be abused by the a-holes in the government. It will cripple the internet, cause countless and pointless lawsuits, and stifle our free speech. At least that’s my take on it so far.

    Report Post » ZaphodsPlanet  
    • AmazonWarrior
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:47pm

      Your suggestion to block all .gov sites for a week is a bad one.

      First, no one would be able to look up the official wording of these bills.

      Second, you’d be blocking the sites of both the people who oppose the legislation and the ones who support it, in addition to a lot of departmental sites that have nothing to do with SOPA or PIPA.

      If you want to have free speech, you have to allow others to have it, as well, not just the ones whose views you don’t find offensive.

      Report Post »  
  • Ditto Head
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 12:49am

    If Wikipedia and Craigslist are against it, I’m for it.

    Report Post » Ditto Head  
    • drattastic
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 1:29am

      We all need to come together and stop SOPA (house) and PIPA (senate). This is the foot in the door that will lead to government gaining control of the internet . It isn’t a left / right issue. We can actually work together on this one .

      Report Post » drattastic  
    • Twobyfour
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 2:43am

      Ditto, a broken clock can be right twice a day. Just saying…

      Report Post » Twobyfour  
    • Jsor2112
      Posted on January 17, 2012 at 8:37am

      I agree with drattastic 100%. This is how it starts. Before you know it there will more and more sites added to the blacklist for whatever reasons the government wants they just use the bill as a shield to hide behind.

      Report Post » Jsor2112  
    • masters11111
      Posted on January 18, 2012 at 6:12am

      http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/

      remove confress thated are voting yes

      Report Post »  
  • Dootuz
    Posted on January 17, 2012 at 12:44am

    SOPA needs to die.

    Report Post »  
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