So. What is your personal interpratation of the SOPA and PIPA acts?

[JimboUK]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577172703397383034.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

So that's that then?

[marharth]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577172703397383034.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

So that's that then?

You can't be sure until the vote comes around.

[JimboUK]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204301404577172703397383034.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

 

So that's that then?

You can't be sure until the vote comes around.

 

Even then the people behind the bills aren't just going to go away, they'll be back with something else.

[Sync182]

What gives the US Government the right to tell me, an Australian citizen, what I may and may not watch/view/use in the privacy of my own home, on legally obtained software and hardware?

[RZ1029]

What gives the US Government the right to tell me, an Australian citizen, what I may and may not watch/view/use in the privacy of my own home, on legally obtained software and hardware?

The same thing that gave us the right to do pretty much everything else we've done in the entire history of the US: We're the US, and who the - is going to tell us what we can and can't do?

[Maigrets]

What gives the US Government the right to tell me, an Australian citizen, what I may and may not watch/view/use in the privacy of my own home, on legally obtained software and hardware?

The same thing that gave us the right to do pretty much everything else we've done in the entire history of the US: We're the US, and who the - is going to tell us what we can and can't do?

 

 

I do hope that was a joke and that you didn't emphasize the fact RZ1029, otherwise that comment and attitude earns you and like thinking people no respect and a lot of enmity.

 

@ Sync182

I'm also Australian. Unfortunately our Federal Government signed a Free Trade Agreement with the US which means we would more than likely follow suit with any inane legislation like SOPA because our Govt is so good at being independent and thinking "of" the people not "for" them. /sarcasm

 

At least that's what I read on a reliable source page recently when someone else, also an Aussie questioned it and as it says on this page about free trade agreements and intellectual property protection between the participants.

http://dfat.gov.au/fta/

[Aurielius]

What gives the US Government the right to tell me, an Australian citizen, what I may and may not watch/view/use in the privacy of my own home, on legally obtained software and hardware?

The same thing that gave us the right to do pretty much everything else we've done in the entire history of the US: We're the US, and who the - is going to tell us what we can and can't do?

I do hope that was a joke and that you didn't emphasize the fact RZ1029, otherwise that comment and attitude earns you and like thinking people no respect and a lot of enmity.

 

@Maigrets

I am sure that RZ is referring to the concept of enacting copyright legislation for the US, but since we already know how much respect you have for us I don't think we are risking much at all. RZ is correct in the essential matter, it's a bill on the table in our Congress not anyone else's. So the bottom line is that the only opinion that matters is on Capital Hill.

[Maigrets]

What gives the US Government the right to tell me, an Australian citizen, what I may and may not watch/view/use in the privacy of my own home, on legally obtained software and hardware?

The same thing that gave us the right to do pretty much everything else we've done in the entire history of the US: We're the US, and who the - is going to tell us what we can and can't do?

I do hope that was a joke and that you didn't emphasize the fact RZ1029, otherwise that comment and attitude earns you and like thinking people no respect and a lot of enmity.

 

@Maigrets

I am sure that RZ is referring to the concept of enacting copyright legislation for the US, but since we already know how much respect you have for us I don't think we are risking much at all. RZ is correct in the essential matter, it's a bill on the table in our Congress not anyone else's. So the bottom line is that the only opinion that matters is on Capital Hill.

 

Nice convenient misinterpretation of what I said Aurielius. Nowhere did I say I anything about me or anyone else having a lack of respect for the US or it's people and your belief about what I think is so far off base it's laughable. The way RZ1029 worded his comment sounded quite abrasive and mentioned nothing about the Bill itself. I do believe he was replying to Sync182 though in what came across as a snide and arrogant manner. The US as any other nation, has the right to do as it pleases, as long as it's internal and doesn't knowingly adversely affect other countries. I'm not suggesting that will happen with the SOPA bill, but it's highly likely it will and that's what this discussion topic is about. It's not a debate when either side tells the other what to believe is it?

 

My comment about respect and enmity was aimed at RZ1029 and people who think the same as far as rights and who is mightier, not at the Unites States or it's people in general. I'm quite sure he is able to defend himself quite adequately though, however what he has written, without clarification comes across as arrogance and your comment isn't helping.

 

If I misinterpreted what seemed to me to be a very clear sentence then perhaps he, or you would like to clarify what these rights actually mean. "We're the US, and who the - is going to tell us what we can and can't do?" Really? In your country yes, but not in others whether they want it or not. But, as you yourself said about me, and you are so wrong, it's pretty clear what your opinions are as I've read plenty of them, so you need not bother.

 

Please read his sentence again and consider that someone who is not a US citizen may be offended by it. I'd also ask you not to put words in my mouth or pretend to know what I think. I read enough of your derogatory comments to other members to have an idea what your thoughts are towards anyone who disagrees with you. You need to get off your high horse occasionally and consider other people's viewpoints Aurielius, because they are allowed to have them without being looked down upon.

 

With regards to SOPA, if the US wants to enact a bill like it or any other kind of legislation for that matter, it's their right to do it and goes without saying, but it will have an ongoing effect on the rest of the world just because of the type of legislation it is. It is SOPA and it's possible ramifications this topic is about not other US government or internal business.

 

The movie and music industry is world wide after all and governments everywhere can be quick to jump on the band wagon when they think it might score votes in certain targeted sectors or when money or pressure is involved. We very nearly had a bill much like SOPA, (yet more insidious), creep in behind the scenes a few years ago (2008-2011) and it wasn't until it was exposed and made more public than our government liked that there was a huge reaction to it, people protested and it was shelved. It was more likely to do with the "forced" change of Government at the time and the ousting of the Prime Minister who supported it and the Senator who was determined to have it pass despite a massive backlash, than voter opinion though.

 

It was also found that there was more to it than the piracy issue which was actually a secondary consideration in it's presentation, and there were plans to censor books, movies, games and of course the internet. Until it rears it''s ugly head again some time in the future and they try again we can rest easy. Maybe. Hopefully that will be after I'm gone or too old to care because I believe in self censorship and one's own sense of what's right or just wrong, not having it forced on us according to what someone else in power thinks is good for us.

Edited January 21, 2012 by Maigrets

[HeyYou]

I don't have much respect for the US, and I LIVE here....... Our government has gone off the deep end with their various control issues, and kow-towing to big corporations. Left to their own devices, PIPA, and SOPA would never have seen the light of day. Of course, those bills are exactly what I expect to get when you have folks passing laws (or potential laws...) with no clue of just what it is they are dealing with. I see it more as the tech savvy folks at the corporations making suggestions to the corporate legal department, which then embellishes things so that they have a severe advantage should such legislation be passed. The folks that they are handing it to, for 'sponsorship' don't have a clue what it all means, but, they want those nice campaign contributions, and send it into the process.

[JimboUK]

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/11/us-judge-orders-hundreds-of-sites-de-indexed-from-google-twitter-bing-facebook.ars?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss

 

Looks like they don't need SOPA anyway, sites taken down without the owners even being given a chance to contest the case.