We won this round! But it's not over yet... (SOPA/PIPA update)

[ScalyFreak]

Congress has dropped SOPA and the senate has given up on PIPA. Both pieces of legislation are likely to return in the future, with new names and different wording/ideas, bit for now, the most imminent danger is past. We won this round.

Bragging rights, internet grassroots. Major bragging rights.

Originally Posted by Ars Technica

"Supporters of the Internet deserve credit for pressing advocates of SOPA and PIPA to back away from an effort to ram through controversial legislation," Issa said in a Friday statement. "Over the last two months, the intense popular effort to stop SOPA and PIPA has defeated an effort that once looked unstoppable."

"Postponing the Senate vote on PIPA removes the imminent threat to the Internet, but it's not over yet," Issa continued. "Copyright infringement remains a serious problem and any solution must be targeted, effective, and consistent with how the Internet works."

Full article.

[FizzyWater]

Wow, I really didn't think anything would come of the petitions and blackouts!

[Phogg]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

Wow, I really didn't think anything would come of the petitions and blackouts!

Maybe a major hacking attack against the government being supported by the public might conceivably have rung some bells.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by Phogg

Maybe a major hacking attack against the government being supported by the public might conceivably have rung some bells.

"supported by the public"? Some portion of the public, perhaps, but I didn't see anything resembling wide-spread support for the attack. There really wasn't time, at least here in the US. Most people probably didn't even know about it until their evening news, and I'd wager that many didn't understand the implications. (Not due to intelligence but because of the way these things tend to get reported.)

Now, it's possible that some of the bills' proponents said, "Holy crap! They can shut down OUR internet?!?!?" and had second thoughts. I don't advocate what Anonymous did, not at all, but it was certainly one way for those folks to see what it's like when you're the one getting blocked.

Then again, the bills have been losing traction for a few days now. It may have already been heading this way.

[ScalyFreak]

Anon's attacks on those websites had nothing to do with SOPA. That was a retaliation for the fact that Megaupload has gone off-line on piracy charges. The two are not related.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

Anon's attacks on those websites had nothing to do with SOPA. That was a retaliation for the fact that Megaupload has gone off-line on piracy charges. The two are not related.

True, but the timing is sufficient for one to affect the other. I'm not sure I believe it did, but the possibility exists.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

True, but the timing is sufficient for one to affect the other. I'm not sure I believe it did, but the possibility exists.

As an off-line friend of mine pointed out, taking down Megaupload and pressing charges against the founder can always be used as proof that existing legislation is enough and SOPA wasn't needed.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

As an off-line friend of mine pointed out, taking down Megaupload and pressing charges against the founder can always be used as proof that existing legislation is enough and SOPA wasn't needed.

That's actually the same thing I said to a friend of mine yesterday - "They managed to do this one the old fashioned way with an actual investigation and some semblance of due process. They don't need new laws when the old ones work." And internationally, even!

But things get so twisted I can never predict how anything will be spun by anyone involved. I'm just glad things will be quiet on this front for a while. Hard to say what they'll come back with down the road, but I suspect at least a few lawmakers learned something from all of this. I can hope, anyway.

[spellbanisher]

What do I get for winning?

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by spellbanisher

What do I get for winning?

You get to keep a free uncensored internet.

[CWatkinsNash]

Originally Posted by spellbanisher

What do I get for winning?

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

You get to keep a free uncensored internet.

[spellbanisher]

Originally Posted by ScalyFreak

You get to keep a free uncensored internet.

When have I ever had use for that? I want something new (preferably shiny)!

[sadievan]

I'm sure they'll try to bring them back under a different name or disguised in another bill. Hollywood has big bucks to promote this. This is an election year. People have spoken Reps listened for now. After elections ?????

Carol

[RainingLemur]

Originally Posted by sadievan

I'm sure they'll try to bring them back under a different name or disguised in another bill. Hollywood has big bucks to promote this. This is an election year. People have spoken Reps listened for now. After elections ?????

Carol

Maybe the innerwebs nerds will pool their monies together and get their own lobbyists for the plight of the 'Net.

[ScalyFreak]

Originally Posted by sadievan

I'm sure they'll try to bring them back under a different name or disguised in another bill.

They will, no doubt about it. We may have won this battle, but the war goes on.