I guess I have been living in a hole for the last few weeks, cause I have no idea what this SOPA and PIPA protests are about! Anyone care to break it down in laymens terms?

The Americans trying to say that THEY and they alone OWN the internet and can dictate how it is used and policed.
Pretty dumb really, but there you go

Tomder mentions it here: https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/curren...pa-628485.html

I'll do my best.

SOPA will require internet service providers to block websites that violate copyright laws.

Example: some guy uploads part of a movie to YouTube, it turns out it's a copyright infringement. You have Verizon Fios. Verizon is now bound by law to prevent you from going to YouTube.

Amerrrrka!

Oh those silly MAericans and their ownership issues... :p

So what specifically are they saying we can and can't do?

It just puts the screws on internet service providers to scrutinize websites their subscribers. Earlier in 2011 or 2010 (I forget) AT&T tried blocking 4chan.org. It lasted a couple hours because everyone was irate.

EDIT
Make that 2009.

I just want to point out that most of us "silly Americans" think this is ridiculous.

And yeah... like I want Congress in charge of the internet. They can't find their a$$es with two hands and a flashlight.

To break it down to its bare minimum. What they are talking about is shutting down a site on pure speculation without cause. The problem being that there is no safety net in place to stop a site from being shut down. This doesn't only affect America but can happen world wide. This would only be the first pebble in the pond before the internet is completely stifled. Its censorship of the highest order.

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Originally Posted by califdadof3

To break it down to its bare minimum. What they are talking about is shutting down a site on pure speculation without cause.

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This is wrong. SOPA will not shutdown websites—a cease and desist—because SOPA can only regulate websites and servers that are on US soil, and many are not. Instead, SOPA forces US ISPs to blacklist websites who violated a copyright. Secondly, ISPs won't blacklist websites on pure speculation, that would be a terrible business model. The first ISP that blocks a YouTube because they think there is a copyright infringement will be liquidating its assets within weeks.

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Originally Posted by slapshot_oi

This is wrong. SOPA will not shutdown websites—a cease and desist—because SOPA can only regulate websites and servers that are on US soil, and many are not. Instead, SOPA forces US ISPs to blacklist websites who violated a copyright. Secondly, ISPs won't blacklist websites on pure speculation, that would be a terrible business model. The first ISP that blocks a YouTube because they think there is a copyright infringement will be liquidating its assets within weeks.

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According to the text in the new laws they are wanting to pass they can shut down servers which in effect shuts down websites. Why do you think they couldn't turn off the pipes going into and out of YouTube?

If you give them the power to do so then there is nothing to stop them. Yes part of the language says its about foreign sites but it can be much more severe then that. Take a good look at countries like China and look at what happened in Egypt. It can happen and with the right powers it will happen. Its not some joke. Why should sites like YouTube be granted imunity? They even want to block search engines.

Don't be fooled. This is a major blow if it passes.

Many countries control what can or can't be seen on the internet. I have no doubt, that the US can shut down any IP they want anytime they want.

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Sopa and Pipa explained

The US bills are designed to block access to sites containing unauthorised copryight material.

Content owners and the US government would be given the power to request court orders to shut down sites associated with piracy.

Advertisers, payment processors and internet service providers would be forbidden from doing business with infringers based overseas.

Sopa also requires search engines to remove foreign infringing sites from their results, a provision absent in Pipa.

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BBC News - Wikipedia joins blackout protest at US anti-piracy moves

Kind of sums it up.
Why the US legislature believe that they and they alone should be the final authority of what happens on the WORLD WIDE web is beyond me..

I logged on yesterday and went gormless trying to figure out that page that popped up. I take it it's just America?

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Originally Posted by Curlyben

Why the US legislature believe that they and they alone should be the final authority of what happens on the WORLD WIDE web is beyond me..

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Maybe because they invented and started the Internet and paid for the initial R&D and infrastructure? ;)

We do need to remember that the Internet originally started as a US Dept of Defense initiative to allow better communication between the DOD and researchers working on defense contracts.

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Originally Posted by Curlyben

BBC News - Wikipedia joins blackout protest at US anti-piracy moves

Kind of sums it up.
Why the US legislature believe that they and they alone should be the final authority of what happens on the WORLD WIDE web is beyond me..

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The thought is that other governments would follow suit and do the same. One concern is who decides what constitutes an infringement? Some would be blatantly obvious, but others may not be.

I wish I could have read all this BEFORE I was shut down.

Synnen, I wasn't trying to be offensive with the "silly Americans" I know that the majority of you (everyone, world wide) thinks this is absurd.

What the heck will everyone do with their spare time if this gets passed?

Thank you for breaking this all down for me. I think "irate" is going to be the understatement of the centaury if this does pass.

Hollywierd is very upset with the President because he waffled on support for this once the news got out that these bills were pending .

Now they are threatening to withhold their campaign contributions .

http://www.deadline.com/2012/01/excl...-piracy-stand/

I personally think there are enough laws to cover piracy . But with these two bills they threaten to cross the line to censorship.

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Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

What the heck will everyone do with their spare time if this gets passed?

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One shudders just thinking about it... might even have to resort to actual face to face conversations with people... ;)

That thought terrifies me D.

Bottom line is that SOPA sailed through the Senate Committee ;and both bills were on fast track for passage. This protest gave pause to the Legislators .

Clearly the bill was crafted only with the input of the Hollywierdos ,who although have legitimate concerns ;did not care one bit about the broader impacts to 1st Amendment rights .

This certainly was an eye-opener to our lawmakers. Sen. Marco Rubio was an original sponsor of PIPA... He has now withdrawn his support .
Again... well done AMHD for participating !