That's right. HERE, in the USA. Proposal S 3804, Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act. Heard of it yet? If some of the politicians now in Washington get their way with this bill, you WILL hear of it, when it's TOO LATE.
Imagine, you want to go to YouTube to check out a family movie that your brother or cousin posted there of the kids perhaps, or something else benign. You click the link in your favorites list, and from nowhere, WHAM. ERROR 404 PAGE NOT FOUND... "What?" you ask yourself. "How can YouTube be down?" But it will be, for the third time that month maybe, because some Crybaby special interest group or Mega giant Corporation with boocoo DOLLAR$$ called the Justice department AGAIN, and they in turn Blacklist YouTube AGAIN, and again and again.
Maybe it'll be down a day, a week, a month. Perhaps it will have to wait 37 days for an Appeal hearing in a Federal court room where a Federal Judge places a temporary restraining order on the Justice Department's decision, this one decision, this one time around. Maybe not next time.
Your Internet provider will have NO Choice but to adhere to this Justice Department Ruling. It will be the LAW. Time Warner, Cox Cable, Verizon, Southern Bell... Whomever YOU pay for Internet right now, will have NO CHOICE but to ban the website. SORRY. Someone complained somewhere.
And maybe it won't just be YouTube or Face Book or Twitter or something else fun or informative next time around. Perhaps it will be your Banking website or some News Website you use at work, a Blog site like this one, perhaps a critical health service. It will all be at the whim of the Justice Department. All they'll need is one crybaby interest group with a halfway legitimate claim, and BOOM, GONE. Sorry, no website this week. Sorry, you'll live in the DARK AGES, under the Iron Curtain of a dictatorship. Because really, that's Exactly what this is; a Dictatorship.
We all can see the original intent of this proposed law, the spirit of the law, is to help those with intellectual rights for some sort of media, a Record Company with songs being illegally transferred through Napster or Lime Wire, or maybe an online book publisher with downloads for a Nook or Kindle Reader being illegally traded, or some other published work. It sounds Just. It means well. It's supposed to help.
But how much are you willing to bet the Government will screw it up YET AGAIN. Sites will be blocked, wrongfully blocked due to some loophole in the legislation, and instead of fixing it correctly, the government will apply patch after patch of new legislation to plug the loopholes, now only to create NEW loopholes, let alone a set of legalities, so convoluted, you'll need a special government issued publishers license and a ten year legal degree just to start a website or print an add online.
Can our Government handle this new set of rules if they become Law? Hmmm, let's step back a moment. Did they destroy Social Security? How old do you have to be to retire? How's the new health Care working out? Have your rates gone up yet?
The Internet as you know it will be GONE. And any hope of getting it back will also be GONE. It will eventually be classified like a gateway drug.... "Well, things are better now in the USA since free publishing has been classified illegal, we don't want it back, our children will be hurt by the content."
Should I call the WAAAAMBULANCE now?
And who's supporting this bill anyway? Or should I say, which politicians are getting kickbacks from Big Business to support this bill? Did I hear campaign contribution?
Patrick Leahey D-VT (The Sponsor who wants to control your life)
Lamar Alexander R-TN
Evan Bayh D-IN
Benjamin Cardin D-MD
Thomas Coburn R-OK
Richard Durbin D-IL
Dianne Feinstein D-CA
Kirsten Gillibrand D-NY.... Kirsten, Kirsten, Kirsten, I had high hopes for you.
Lindsey Graham R-SC
Charles Grassley R-IA
Orrin Hatch R-UT
Amy Klobuchar D-MN
Herbert Kohl D-WI
Charles Schumer D-NY..... Why am I NOT surprised.
Arlen Specter D-PA
George Voinovich R-OH
Sheldon Whitehouse D-RI
Look to see if YOUR state representation appears on this website as the bill gains strength.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s111-3804
Bookmark It !
These exact politicians are juggling your RIGHTS as an American citizen. Don't think just because it looks all pretty on paper before it's law that it will stay nice and pretty. It WILL rear it's ugly head, AND....... It WILL affect you in a bad way once law, COUNT ON IT.
Unfortunately, there is not yet any way to effectively BOYCOTT the corporations listed there, YET. But YES, they deserve it. And the suggestion box is open.
And pass this info along. Tell your friends, your family, just what Congress is planning to do.
In fact, sign the online petition: (I did)
http://demandprogress.org/blacklist/
And VOTE this November. A Mid-Term Election is AS IMPORTANT as the Presidential Election. Get these CREEPS out of office!
-SaintsNick
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