If you have been hanging out online lately, you have probably noticed a considerable amount of buzz about Protect IP and SOPA, two bills currently in the Senate and House respectively that pose a considerable threat to HubPages and online publishing platforms in general, not to mention online security and free speech.
Here is a great video summarizing the Protect IP Act:
SOPA is quite similar, and many argue that it is even worse:
- The original purpose of the Internet regulatory proposal was to find a way to target offshore sites selling illegal goods to US consumers by operating outside the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice. It has gone a touch beyond that.
- The danger posed to us by this act is that it exposes HubPages and other lawful US firms to liability without due process (by encouraging firms to shut down, block access to, and stop servicing websites that copyright and trademark owners allege are illegal without due process or the ability of a wrongfully targeted website to seek restitution)
- SOPA also chills free speech, threatens US infrastructure (by proposing technological solutions that will create security risks), and creates a private right of action against US companies that have violated no existing law.
- SOPA is a direct reversal of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (among other laws and policies), and imposes regulations directly on companies like HubPages that are only serving as conduits for others’ content. It does this by holding sites that host or link to illegal content liable. If even a small portion of our site “enables or facilitates” someone else’s copyright infringement (for example, by “promoting” or linking to a pirated movie site), we would be considered liable.
- Were someone to take action against HubPages under SOPA, this person could order an advertising partner, payment service, or even network provider to stop servicing our site within five days.
SOPA and Protect IP could be the end of HubPages, as they could hold our site liable for any bit of content that encourages copyright infringement. This means that if any of our over 200,000 published authors publishes a Hub promoting, offering, or linking to copyright-infringed content, our entire site could be shut down.
HubPages does not stand alone in its opposition to this legislation. Other businesses, such as Google, Yahoo, Facebook, LinkedIn, eBay, and AOL, as well as human rights organizations such as Reporters Without Borders, Wikimedia, Human Rights Watch, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are against SOPA and Protect-IP.
You can easily send a letter (already drafted) to congress by visiting the Electronic Frontier Foundation. If you would prefer to give your congressman a phone call or send a physical letter, you can find your local senator and representatives’ phone numbers and addresses by visiting Congress Merge.
We hope you’ll support us!
HubPages Blog 
small point guys as I am from the uk will my letter be acceped?…..jimmy
Consider it done! Unfortunately, my representative is exactly the kind of guy who is a strong proponent of something like SOPA.
However, I’ll keep fighting the good fight. Fortunately, we no longer have *ahem* Ted Stevens around. However, a speech like the “series of tubes” speech would likely garner more support for net neutrality, given the amount of research (or lack-thereof) presented in the talk. Hee hee.
This is really a BIG crisis to all writers (hubbers, bloggers) around the world.
I’ll support and blog about this.
Thanks, Simone and the HubPages, as well for alerting us regarding SOPA and Protect IP.
Thanks y’all!
Any sort of advocacy helps, jimmythejock!
For reals, Melbel!
And agreed, travel_man1971. We appreciate your advocacy!
This should be shot round the world. What a horror for us writers who enjoy the freedom Hubpages offers us. If there was a vote up button, I would surely vote it up….But tweet and retweet seems to be a good option here. Thanks for the info…
i would vote but i dont have a us zip code does anyone have a us code i can use? thanks in advance…..jimmy
Absolutely this legislation would be devastating to so many. I always believe that loss of freedoms is guised under doing something “noble”. They are marketing this legislation as a way to stop piracy and copyright infringement, but it goes way too far and is not specific enough to prevent innocent people from being harmed by it. I have been very vocal about it and will continue to blog on the subject.
Already have done this for you and the Hubs Simone. Keep On Hubbing Blake4d
If we can’t make money off the internet, we might as well start heading back to the stone age. Talk about the devolution of mankind..
Simone ~ Complacency now being replaced by advocacy. Let’s get the message out to as many as possible who will take action.
Blessings
Debby
We appreciate your support, everyone! This legislation is seriously scary, and I’d hate to see all of our favorite social networks and publishing platforms get hit. Thank you for getting the word out!
I am from the Philippines but I know that SOPA is the beginning of the dark age not just in the US but around the world. This bill would definitely ruin businesses not just locally but globally. Thank you for the word.