Yesterday, We the People won a small victory. In light of both physical and online protests, as well as thousands of emails and phone calls from concerned citizens, at least 18 senators, 3 bill co-sponsors, and President Obama himself have withdrawn their support of SOPA. We cannot celebrate just yet. This victory was not by any means complete. The bill is not dead - the House of Representatives will revisit the issue next month. PIPA is still on the table; the next Senate vote is scheduled for January 24th.
Google says 4.5 million People Signed Anti-SOPA Petition
U.S Senators Withdraw Support for Anti-Piracy Bills
Were SOPA/PIPA Protests a Success? The Results Are In
Unfortunately with yesterday's victory, we also suffered a loss. Apparently the Supreme Court ruled that the US could take works out of the public domain and put a copyright on them. I wasn't even aware of this ruling, but apparently this is the third case that was meant to challenge US copyright laws as a violation of the 1st Amendment.
Supreme Court Chooses SOPA/PIPA Protest Day To Give A Giant Middle Finger To The Public Domain
We need to continue the vigil. Yesterday, 4.5 million people signed Google's anti-SOPA petition, and 350,000 emails were sent to Congress via Fight for the Future's various sites. It's a good start, but with just over 300 million people in the US, it's far from the best we can do. If you haven't already, sign Google's petition. Visit http://americancensorship.org/ and fill in your info. They'll send an email to your Senate rep. for you. It's just that easy. If you like a more personal touch, look up your representatives and write them a letter or give them a call. If we don't stand up for our rights, we won't have any.
1 comment:
All in all done, of course. I sure do hope it doesn't come to this. I can honestly say..if it does, I'll probably cancel internet account. Won't be much use for it anymore, I can make a phone call and talk to family. :) HUGS and THANKS for everything you do!
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