January 18th, 2012
PIPA and SOPA are supported by old media content providers to prevent piracy. It will actually be the end of user generated content.
Here is how the copyright laws work now under the Digital Millennium Act:
A user posts a music video to YouTube.com that they don’t own the copyright to. Currently, it would be up to the copyright holder to notify YouTube to have the video removed.
Under the proposed legislation it would be up to YouTube to remove the content before the copyright holder notices. YouTube wouldn't have a problem because they have the resources to monitor and protect the internet. Smaller sites and startups don’t have the resources to dedicate to policing their users.
If a company feels that a site is not doing a good enough job removing copyrighted material they can sue that site and have that domain name.
If a user comments on a photo on my blog and includes copyrighted material, or links to a copyrighted material, this site could be shut down if I don't remove the comment fast enough.
I create content. In the past, my content has been stolen and misused. I'm not arguing that piracy should be allowed, but the proposed legislation is too vague.
