The pieces of legislations known as the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and The Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) are shortsighted, counterproductive and will stifle the liberties of innocent American citizens.
Thankfully, the recent uproar caused by these bills has placed the legislation on hold. The effectiveness of the petitions, rallies, letters and protests of those opposed to the bills show that we still have a say in the process of government. Hoever, we cannot let up now, we must continue the struggle to protect our freedoms. Make no mistake, the fact that these bills even exist maintains the possibility that they will one day be passed into law.
While their intended purpose is to prevent piracy, it would in essence impose censorship and heavy copyright restriction on most, if not all, of the content on the Internet.
What's worse than the censorship is the potential effects on online businesses and companies like Facebook or Twitter. If the bills pass, these companies would have to monitor every single link and upload posted by users, otherwise they may be sued themselves for piracy.
Perhaps the worst part about these bills is that, if they do pass, they will not actually stop piracy. Digital pirates know their way around computers and could easily continue their illicit activities unhindered in any number of ways. In the mean time, innocent companies and citizens will be penalized for violations that are completely beyond their control.
In order to ensure the integrity of our freedoms and to keep the federal government from overstepping its authority, the American people must inform their representatives of their opinions of SOPA and PIPA. We are appalled that our own representatives, Congressman Steve Scalise and Senator Mary Landrieu are in support of these bills. We are, however, in agreement with Senator David Vitter's decision to oppose the bills and we hope that Scalise and Landrieu will follow his example.
As photographers, writers and designers, we understand the value of intellectual property and the importance of protecting it, but not at the expense of personal liberty. Our judicial system is based on the premise of "innocent until proven guilty," which will be ripped inside out by these misguided, even ignorant, steps to protect us from thieves that won't even blink at these countermeasures. In every single way, these "protective measures" do more harm than the piracy they seek to prevent.
The Lion's Roar Editorial staff is urging you to stand against these proposals. Sign Google's petition at www.google.com/landing/takeaction/, or better yet, call Landrieu and Scalise's offices and let them know that you are proud of your rights to freedom of speech and press and you will stand up for them and not give them up because of two ignorantly written and shortsighted pieces of legislation.
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The editorial inaccurately stated that Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise supports the Stop Online Piracy Act. Scalise dropped his support of the bill on Jan. 19, 2011.
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