Q JINN
2012-01-31 11:26:00 UTC
<html>
<A href=3D"http://blogs.forbes.com/johngaudiosi/">John Gaudiosi</A><SPAN
class=3Ddesc>, Contributor</SPAN> <BR>I cover video games and technology
<BR><A href=3D"http://blogs.forbes.com/people/johngaudiosi/?do=3Dfollow"
target=3D_blank>+ Follow on Forbes</A> <HGROUP>
<H5 class=3Dslug><A href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/technology">Tech</A></H5=
<H5 class=3Dslug>1/16/2012 @ 3:47PM <SPAN class=3Ddivider>|</SPAN>588,403
views </H5>
<H1><FONT size=3D4>Obama Says So Long SOPA, Killing Controversial Internet=
Piracy Legislation</FONT>
<DIV style=3D"DISPLAY: none"
class=3Dno_comment_bugs_exist_yet> </DIV><SPAN
class=3Dst_stumbleupon_button st_processed=3D"yes"></SPAN><SPAN
class=3Dposition_anchor></SPAN><IMG style=3D"POSITION: relative"
class=3D"alignright size-medium wp-image-1129 dimensions_initialized"
alt=3D""
src=3D"http://blogs-images.forbes.com/johngaudiosi/files/2012/01/obama-300=
x217.jpg"
width=3D240 height=3D174 data-orig-width=3D"240" data-orig-height=3D"174">=
<FONT
size=3D3>The growing anti-SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) support that has
swept through the gaming and Internet community found a very big ally
today. With websites like Reddit and Wikipedia and gaming organizations
like </FONT><A
href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/01/17/major-league-g=
aming-ceo-sundance-digiovanni-speaks-out-against-sopa-and-pipa/"
target=3D_blank><FONT size=3D3>Major League Gaming</FONT></A><FONT size=3D=
3>
prepared for a blackout on January 18<SUP>th</SUP> =E2=80" the same day
that the House Judiciary Committee hearing on HR 3261was scheduled in
</FONT><A href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/places/dc/washington/"><FONT
size=3D3>Washington</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3>, DC =E2=80" President
</FONT><A href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/profile/barack-obama/"><FONT
size=3D3>Barack Obama</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3> has stepped in and said he=
would not support the bill.</FONT></H1>
<DIV id=3DleftRail class=3D"fleft clearfix article">
<DIV class=3D"body contains_vestpocket">
<P>SOPA has been delayed, for now. The House has agreed to revisit the
issue next month, but they now know the White House will veto any bill
that's not more narrowly focused.</P>
<P>Much to the chagrin of Hollywood, the Entertainment Software
Association (which has been a backer of the bill from early on), and
Internet domain company GoDaddy.com (which lost many accounts as a
result of its support for the bill); SOPA has been shelved. The Motion
Picture Association of America, one of the bill's largest sponsors, is
expected to regroup.</P>
<P>California congressman Darrell Issa, who has been opposed to the bill
from the beginning, praised the Internet action that has swept like a
virus across the Web the past week.
<DIV style=3D"DISPLAY: none" class=3Dadmin_controls> </DIV>"The voice of t=
he
Internet community has been heard,"=9D said Issa. "Much more education
for members of Congress about the workings of the Internet is essential
if anti-piracy legislation is to be workable and achieve broad
appeal."=9D
<P></P>
<P>But there remains another similar bill, Protect IP (the Enforcing and
Protecting American Rights Against Sites Intent on Theft and
Exploitation Act), that poses a problem for gamers and Internet users.
This legislation is scheduled to go before the Senate on January
24<SUP>th</SUP>.</P>
<P>Both SOPA and Protect IP attempt to combat online piracy by
preventing American search engines like <A
href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/companies/google/">Google</A> and <A
href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/companies/yahoo/">Yahoo</A> from directing
users to sites distributing stolen content. Both bills also would enable
people and companies to sue if their copyright was infringed. Obama has
come out against both bills, which killed SOPA and puts pressure on
senators come January 24<SUP>th</SUP>. The full White House response can
be read <A
href=3D"http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/14/obama-administration-res=
ponds-we-people-petitions-sopa-and-online-piracy"
target=3D_blank>here</A>.</P>
<P>"Any provision covering Internet intermediaries such as online
advertising networks, payment processors, or search engines must be
transparent and designed to prevent overly broad private rights of
action that could encourage unjustified litigation that could discourage
startup businesses and innovative firms from growing,"=9D said The White
House. "We expect and encourage all private parties, including both
content creators and Internet platform providers working together, to
adopt voluntary measures and best practices to reduce online
piracy."</P>
<P><STRONG></STRONG></P>
<P>Just like piracy itself, this debate isn't over. Expect more bills to
move forward, although the wording in future legislation is expected to
be more narrowly focused in an attempt to appease the current
administration. But given the current economic climate and the upcoming
Presidential election, there could be a different administration
entering The White House soon, changing the landscape for these types of
bills.</P>
<P>Follow me on Twitter <A href=3D"https://twitter.com/#!/johngaudiosi"
target=3D_blank>@JohnGaudiosi</A></P></DIV></DIV> </html>
<A href=3D"http://blogs.forbes.com/johngaudiosi/">John Gaudiosi</A><SPAN
class=3Ddesc>, Contributor</SPAN> <BR>I cover video games and technology
<BR><A href=3D"http://blogs.forbes.com/people/johngaudiosi/?do=3Dfollow"
target=3D_blank>+ Follow on Forbes</A> <HGROUP>
<H5 class=3Dslug><A href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/technology">Tech</A></H5=
<H5 class=3Dslug>1/16/2012 @ 3:47PM <SPAN class=3Ddivider>|</SPAN>588,403
views </H5>
<H1><FONT size=3D4>Obama Says So Long SOPA, Killing Controversial Internet=
Piracy Legislation</FONT>
<DIV style=3D"DISPLAY: none"
class=3Dno_comment_bugs_exist_yet> </DIV><SPAN
class=3Dst_stumbleupon_button st_processed=3D"yes"></SPAN><SPAN
class=3Dposition_anchor></SPAN><IMG style=3D"POSITION: relative"
class=3D"alignright size-medium wp-image-1129 dimensions_initialized"
alt=3D""
src=3D"http://blogs-images.forbes.com/johngaudiosi/files/2012/01/obama-300=
x217.jpg"
width=3D240 height=3D174 data-orig-width=3D"240" data-orig-height=3D"174">=
<FONT
size=3D3>The growing anti-SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) support that has
swept through the gaming and Internet community found a very big ally
today. With websites like Reddit and Wikipedia and gaming organizations
like </FONT><A
href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/01/17/major-league-g=
aming-ceo-sundance-digiovanni-speaks-out-against-sopa-and-pipa/"
target=3D_blank><FONT size=3D3>Major League Gaming</FONT></A><FONT size=3D=
3>
prepared for a blackout on January 18<SUP>th</SUP> =E2=80" the same day
that the House Judiciary Committee hearing on HR 3261was scheduled in
</FONT><A href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/places/dc/washington/"><FONT
size=3D3>Washington</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3>, DC =E2=80" President
</FONT><A href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/profile/barack-obama/"><FONT
size=3D3>Barack Obama</FONT></A><FONT size=3D3> has stepped in and said he=
would not support the bill.</FONT></H1>
<DIV id=3DleftRail class=3D"fleft clearfix article">
<DIV class=3D"body contains_vestpocket">
<P>SOPA has been delayed, for now. The House has agreed to revisit the
issue next month, but they now know the White House will veto any bill
that's not more narrowly focused.</P>
<P>Much to the chagrin of Hollywood, the Entertainment Software
Association (which has been a backer of the bill from early on), and
Internet domain company GoDaddy.com (which lost many accounts as a
result of its support for the bill); SOPA has been shelved. The Motion
Picture Association of America, one of the bill's largest sponsors, is
expected to regroup.</P>
<P>California congressman Darrell Issa, who has been opposed to the bill
from the beginning, praised the Internet action that has swept like a
virus across the Web the past week.
<DIV style=3D"DISPLAY: none" class=3Dadmin_controls> </DIV>"The voice of t=
he
Internet community has been heard,"=9D said Issa. "Much more education
for members of Congress about the workings of the Internet is essential
if anti-piracy legislation is to be workable and achieve broad
appeal."=9D
<P></P>
<P>But there remains another similar bill, Protect IP (the Enforcing and
Protecting American Rights Against Sites Intent on Theft and
Exploitation Act), that poses a problem for gamers and Internet users.
This legislation is scheduled to go before the Senate on January
24<SUP>th</SUP>.</P>
<P>Both SOPA and Protect IP attempt to combat online piracy by
preventing American search engines like <A
href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/companies/google/">Google</A> and <A
href=3D"http://www.forbes.com/companies/yahoo/">Yahoo</A> from directing
users to sites distributing stolen content. Both bills also would enable
people and companies to sue if their copyright was infringed. Obama has
come out against both bills, which killed SOPA and puts pressure on
senators come January 24<SUP>th</SUP>. The full White House response can
be read <A
href=3D"http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2012/01/14/obama-administration-res=
ponds-we-people-petitions-sopa-and-online-piracy"
target=3D_blank>here</A>.</P>
<P>"Any provision covering Internet intermediaries such as online
advertising networks, payment processors, or search engines must be
transparent and designed to prevent overly broad private rights of
action that could encourage unjustified litigation that could discourage
startup businesses and innovative firms from growing,"=9D said The White
House. "We expect and encourage all private parties, including both
content creators and Internet platform providers working together, to
adopt voluntary measures and best practices to reduce online
piracy."</P>
<P><STRONG></STRONG></P>
<P>Just like piracy itself, this debate isn't over. Expect more bills to
move forward, although the wording in future legislation is expected to
be more narrowly focused in an attempt to appease the current
administration. But given the current economic climate and the upcoming
Presidential election, there could be a different administration
entering The White House soon, changing the landscape for these types of
bills.</P>
<P>Follow me on Twitter <A href=3D"https://twitter.com/#!/johngaudiosi"
target=3D_blank>@JohnGaudiosi</A></P></DIV></DIV> </html>