11-16-11

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)

Dear Representatives,

Please reject the Internet Blacklist Bills (PROTECT IP Act in the Senate and the Stop Online Piracy Act in the House) in their current form.

Even as someone who has had their intellectual property used without consent by so called “rogue” websites, I can not stand behind these acts in their current form.

I’ve studied Digital Culture theory in college and have watched the net transform over the 10 years since. The only people who stand to be effected by this act are the legitimate, tax paying, employment producing companies who are giving jobs to one of the hardest hit demographics of the recession: 20-somethings. The underground web will not stop trading intellectual property, no matter what filters and laws are imposed. One site will be shut down, another will open. Onion browsers and other technologies will be used to by pass IPS blocks. If they want to they will find a way.

The internet should not be feared. It is an amazing tool that has already contributed to progress at speeds we have not seen in rest of human history. Blocking this and allowing a handful of people to interpret what is appropriate and what is not is dangerous. There is so much potential, please don’t take that from us.

The Internet Blacklist Legislation is dangerous and short-sighted, and I urge you to join Senator Wyden and other members of Congress, such as Representatives Lofgren, Eshoo and Issa, in opposing it.

Sincerely,

Shell Greenier

—
Jason,

Head over to http://americancensorship.org/ or Mozilla supported the Electronic Frontier Foundation to send an email to your representatives.