SOPA Defeated!!

Thanks to a resounding opposition to SOPA, The Internet once again revels in triumph and success as a free place to share unrestricted information.  SOPA was much like The Protect IP Act, which threatened web hosts by giving The United States' government the ability to blacklist websites, and effectively sensor the websites in question from other Americans browsing the web.  SOPA was heavily funded by major Hollywood companies, such as the RIAA and MPAA.  Around The Internet worldwide, protests began springing up against SOPA.  Several major websites are actively protesting it, millions have shared stories and spoken out against SOPA over Facebook and Twitter, and lastly there have even been formal petitions to stop SOPA.  Vice-President Joe Biden even makes some great points on Internet Freedom



Well my friends, all of your petitioning, protesting, and proclamations have actually made progress. On January 14th, The White House officially spoke out against SOPA, and this unjust legislation has been effectively put away.  Some highlights from the White House's address:

• While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet.
• Any effort to combat online piracy must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation by our dynamic businesses large and small.  
• We must avoid legislation that drives users to dangerous, unreliable DNS servers and puts next-generation security policies, such as the deployment of DNSSEC, at risk.
• The Administration calls on all sides to work together to pass sound legislation this year that provides prosecutors and rights holders new legal tools to combat online piracy originating beyond U.S. borders while staying true to the principles outlined above in this response.  
• 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.
• We should all be committed to working with all interested constituencies to develop new legal tools to protect global intellectual property rights without jeopardizing the openness of the Internet. 
• Moving forward, we will continue to work with Congress on a bipartisan basis on legislation that provides new tools needed in the global fight against piracy and counterfeiting, while vigorously defending an open Internet based on the values of free expression, privacy, security and innovation. 

So while SOPA has been defeated, don't sleep America, as new and old legislation will continue to be reworked to fight online piracy.  With that in mind, we must be ever vigilant about the laws our country is attempting to pass.  We now know, that with overwhelming support, that we can effect legislator, we can change how this country, and The Internet, is run.