The end of free internet: US Senate Committee Approves Internet “Blacklist” Bill

[Miya]

[url]http://theintelhub.com/2010/11/19/end-of-free-internet-us-senate-committee-approves-internet-blacklist-bill/[/url]

[quote][B][U][/U][/B] It seems the lame duck Congressional session is becoming anything but unproductive. Yesterday, we saw the cloture of the [URL="http://www.activistpost.com/2010/11/breaking-senate-votes-cloture-on-s-510.html"]Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510)[/URL], and today the [URL="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-3804"]Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act[/URL] was unanimously approved by the US Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday with a 19-0 vote. The COICA has been overwhelmingly viewed by bloggers as a corporate hijacking of the Internet by mega-media cartels. Indeed, its eventual passage will be the end of the free Internet as we now it.
The Associated Press [URL="http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101118/pl_afp/usitpoliticscopyrightcrimeinternetcongress"]reported[/URL] on the COICA vote:
[INDENT][I][quote]The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, which has the support of the entertainment industry but has been strongly criticized by digital rights and other groups, was approved by a vote of 19-0. [/I]
[I]“Few things are more important to the future of the American economy and job creation than protecting our intellectual property,” said Senator Patrick Leahy, a Democrat from Vermont who co-sponsored the bill.[/I]
[I]“That is why the legislation is supported by both labor and industry, and Democrats and Republicans are standing together,” Leahy said[/I]
[I]The bill gives the Justice Department an expedited process for cracking down on websites engaged in piracy or the sale of counterfeit goods including having courts issue shutdown orders against domains based outside the United States. [/I]
[I]“Rogue websites are essentially digital stores selling illegal and sometimes dangerous products,” Leahy said. “If they existed in the physical world, the store would be shuttered immediately and the proprietors would be arrested.”[/I]
[I]“We cannot excuse the behavior because it happens online and the owners operate overseas,” he said. “The Internet needs to be free — not lawless.”[/quote][/I]
[/INDENT] This legislation may be the most dangerous weapon against free speech in modern history. The infringing activity that may land a website on the “Blacklist” is defined very broadly. It appears that the blacklist can be enforced without a court order via ISPs. This is total information tyranny and all independent voices need to stand up and protest or surely we’ll face the arbitrary blacklist. David Segal [URL="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-segal/stop-the-internet-blackli_b_739836.html"]reported[/URL] on the blacklist regulations.
[INDENT][I][quote]COICA creates two blacklists of Internet domain names. Courts could add sites to the first list; the Attorney General would have control over the second. Internet service providers and others (everyone from Comcast to PayPal to Google AdSense) would be required to block any domains on the first list. They would also receive immunity (and presumably the good favor of the government) if they block domains on the second list.[/I]
[/INDENT] [INDENT][I]The lists are for sites “dedicated to infringing activity,” but that’s defined very broadly — any domain name where counterfeit goods or copyrighted material are “central to the activity of the Internet site” could be blocked.[/quote][/I]
[/INDENT] Segal has also established a petition against this hijacking of the free internet [URL="http://demandprogress.org/blacklist/"]which can be signed here[/URL]. However, given that this bill passed out of committee unanimously proves that our corporate-owned public officials will surely jam this legislation down our throats. It will likely change the Internet as we know it, essentially redirecting the flow of free information to media conglomerates. The bill is proposed as a piracy protection bill where according to AP:
[INDENT][I][quote]The US Senate Judiciary Committee approved a bill on Thursday that would give US law enforcement more tools to crack down on websites abroad engaged in [B]piracy of movies, television shows and music.[/quote][/B][/I]
[/INDENT] Clearly this was funded by media cartels, but this has a lot more to do with Internet censorship as it does about copyright infringement. Further, this law gives the Department of Justice power to block access to websites located outside the United States. This self-appointed global power grab is [URL="http://www.activistpost.com/2010/09/age-of-censorship-and-internet-trade.html"]explained[/URL] by activist Francis Anthony Govia:
[INDENT][I][quote]The Justice Department will be granted power to serve court orders upon the registry where the domain name registrar is not located in the United States, and upon receipt of such an order, the domain registry must suspend operations of, and lock, the domain name of the infringing site.[/I]
[/INDENT] [INDENT][I]During the action intended to “lock the domain name,” a court may determine, at a minimum threshold, that an Internet site is not conducting business to residents in the United States if the Internet site “states that it is not intended, and has measures to prevent, infringing materials from being accessed in or delivered to the United States,” including other provisions in subsection (d)(2)(B). The owner or operator of the “infringing site” shall also have recourse to petition the Justice Department to remove his domain name from an offending list, or petition the court to modify, suspend, or vacate the order in accordance with subsection (h)(1)(B).[/quote][/I]
[/INDENT] This is very bad news for alternative voices and news aggregators. Although it may be futile, we encourage everyone to call the Senate switchboard and voice their strong objection to this legislation, or we and many other “truth” sites may be essentially finished. [B]The U.S. Capitol Hill Switchboard number is [phone][/quote][/B]

[Edgar Allan Poe]

Well shit.

[Jewsus]

This bill got passed by the Senate Judiciary committee in the last session. That means that it didn't no longer exists because it didn't pass before the new congress took over. OP needs to do his research.

I'll repeat. [B]THE BILL NEVER MADE IT TO EITHER THE HOUSE OR SENATE FLOOR.[/B]

[animephreak135]

[QUOTE=Edgar Allan Poe;27465515]Well shit.[/QUOTE]

Fuck, too.

[Winchesterau]

I'm surprised you guys beat Australia on this one.

[Mr. Someguy]

Chalk another one up to the Corporations.

[phlexiglass]

[QUOTE=Jewsus;27465560]This bill got passed by the Senate Judiciary committee in the last session. That means that it didn't no longer exists because it didn't pass before the new congress took over. OP needs to do his research.

I'll repeat. [B]THE BILL NEVER MADE IT TO EITHER THE HOUSE OR SENATE FLOOR.[/B][/QUOTE]

So it hasn't passed completely yet for legal enforcement?

[Canuhearme?]

This is what happens when you give people who were born before a technology was even created, power over said technology.

[Jewsus]

[QUOTE=xxncxx;27465786]So it hasn't passed completely yet for legal enforcement?[/QUOTE]
Not only that, it would technically have to pass committee again in order to even make it to the floor, which it won't do under a republican house. This thread is moot.

[goon165]

[QUOTE=Jewsus;27465972]Not only that, it would technically have to pass committee again in order to even make it to the floor, which it won't do under a republican house. This thread is moot.[/QUOTE]

Well that's a relief.

[TheFrisk]

I've got nothing to worry about.
The only thing I download from those sites are my linux distros :smug:

[Gmod_Fan77]

1. This hasn't actually been enacted yet. The HoR is yet to approve.

2. This only blacklists sites engaging in piracy or counterfeit. If you're too cheap to actually buy your shit, that's too damn bad.

[Agni_Kai]

Today, us free men became a dying race.

[Pasalaqcua]

Solution: Stop braking the law. :smile:

And don't call illegal music download shit "sharing" that's total bullshit.

[CabooseRvB]

[QUOTE=Pasalaqcua;27466762]Solution: Stop braking the law. :smile:

And don't call illegal music download shit "sharing" that's total bullshit.[/QUOTE]

Why would we obey unjust laws?

[Ermac20]

you cant shut down the internet its impossible without pissing off people

[Pasalaqcua]

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;27466842]Why would we obey unjust laws?[/QUOTE]

How is it unjust?

Musicians and directors don't want people to steal the material they worked hard for? Is that so wrong?

It's okay if it's indie bands who give their albums for free to get more fans, but either then that it's breaking the law.

[seano12]

It's the end of the world as we know it!

[Zeke129]

[QUOTE=Pasalaqcua;27466913]How is it unjust?

Musicians and directors don't want people to steal the material they worked hard for? Is that so wrong?

It's okay if it's indie bands who give their albums for free to get more fans, but either then that it's breaking the law.[/QUOTE]

Downloading copyrighted works for personal use isn't illegal everywhere. The problem with this law (had it passed) was that it would be enforcing American laws globally.

[Pasalaqcua]

[QUOTE=Zeke129;27466983]Downloading copyrighted works for personal use isn't illegal everywhere. The problem with this law (had it passed) was that it would be enforcing American laws globally.[/QUOTE]

It's legal here in Canada.

I don't know where I'm going with this argument. You win since I'm not bothered to keep this going.

[Gmod_Fan77]

[QUOTE=CabooseRvB;27466842]Why would we obey unjust laws?[/QUOTE]

So it's unjust to make a law not to steal music/films/TV shows instead of paying for them?

Alright, then by that logic if someone steals your possessions, your car, your computer, your movies, your music, your money, your house, they can keep it, and the law won't help you, but that's a good thing!

Because stopping that criminal would be unjust. :downs:

[Mr. Someguy]

[QUOTE=Pasalaqcua;27466913]Musicians and directors don't want people to steal the material they worked hard for? Is that so wrong?[/QUOTE]

Most of the money goes to record companies.

[Gmod_Fan77]

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;27467225]Most of the money goes to record companies.[/QUOTE]

It's their money, not yours. It could go to Tom, Dick, and Harry down the street, but it's still their money. If it's theirs, you have no right to steal it.

[razzums]

[QUOTE=Mr. Someguy;27467225]Most of the money goes to record companies.[/QUOTE]

That isn't a valid argument.

[killowatt]

Record Companies won't lose money, they will just not earn any.

[bazyboy]

the end of free internet in the US, not the rest of the world. We still have free internet.

[Gmod_Fan77]

[QUOTE=bazyboy;27467293]the end of free internet in the US, not the rest of the world. We still have free internet.[/QUOTE]

You people are overreacting. This isn't 'the end of free internet'. It's not like the US government is censoring every site in existence or forcing sites on you, it's stopping you from pirating and stealing on the internet.

If you just paid for things, you wouldn't have any problem to begin with.

[BrickInTheHead]

this is a hilariously biased article.

sounds like it's written by a blogger, what with mistaking "know" with "now" and calling everything a "media [I]cartel[/I]"

definitely a respectable source!

[GhettoGeek]

I bet it would take like two minutes to get around with a proxy

[Zeke129]

[QUOTE=Pasalaqcua;27467124]It's legal here in Canada.

I don't know where I'm going with this argument. You win since I'm not bothered to keep this going.[/QUOTE]

No, I win because I provided better arguments.

[editline]16th January 2011[/editline]

[QUOTE=BrickInHead;27467443]this is a hilariously biased article.

sounds like it's written by a blogger, what with mistaking "know" with "now" and calling everything a "media [I]cartel[/I]"

definitely a respectable source![/QUOTE]

Cartel, [i]a consortium of independent organizations formed to limit competition by controlling the production and distribution of a product or service[/i]

Yeah, it actually fits.