SOPA sparks online protests

Washington D.C.'s newest proposed legislation SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and its sister act PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) created added conflict between online users and suppliers Wednesday after numerous websites "blacked out" in protest of the two acts.

Numerous media companies have become increasingly frustrated with users downloading material illegally. Therefore, the two acts seek to create a law that will compel Internet companies to monitor their sites for stolen, copyrighted material.

If passed, SOPA and PIPA would allow U.S. law enforcers to fight the online distribution and selling of copyrighted materials and would protect the intellectual property of companies.

SOPA would allow the Department of Justice and copyright owners to seek court orders, such as temporary restraining orders, against those accused of copyright infringement. In addition, SOPA would prevent online search engines such as Google, Yahoo! and Bing from listing certain websites that contain free access to copyrighted material and would make it illegal to list such websites on search engines.

Due to increased pressure from business owners who want to maintain the distribution of their products and trademarks, supporters of the proposed law claim it's necessary that the U.S. government take action sooner rather than later. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the music, film, fashion and pharmaceutical industries in addition to various high-end brand name manufacturers have expressed support for the bill.

However, in the past weeks, SOPA and PIPA have received increasing public backlash from the online community who, as a whole, oppose the acts.

Online companies that oppose SOPA and PIPA include Reddit, Google, Yahoo!, Facebook, Twitter, AOL, LinkedIn, eBay, Mozilla and Wikipedia. According to numerous media reports, such companies oppose the proposed legislation because they would limit Americans' access to information. Additionally, detractors suggest the bill will unquestionably hinder a plethora of innovations, making Google and Twitter difficult to operate.

Although the legislation was proposed in October, more attention is forthcoming due to numerous websites protesting the acts and protecting the future of their companies.

On Wednesday, Wikipedia and many other sites "blacked out" protesting the two acts and bringing the legislation into the limelight among the online community.

Many technological companies assert the proposed legislation would infringe the right to free speech and stunt innovative growth. Wikipedia's landing page featured a explanation to users who were unable to access the website due to the protest.

"Imagine a World Without Free Knowledge. For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia."

After reading the protest, users were asked to contact their local representatives by entering their zip code and were then were given a directory of phone numbers and addresses of state representatives.

At a recent debate in New Hampshire, Republican primary front-runner Mitt Romney voiced his opposition regarding SOPA and the regulations that would potentially harm businesses. Romney then commented on President Obama's stance on the controversy.

"I don't think the president likes business very much," Romney said. "I love you. I love the fact that you're in business."

However, President Obama is not responsible for SOPA or PIPA. Representative Lamar Smith, a Texas Republican, along with lobbyists of media companies created the legislature.

On Tuesday, the Senate will have a cloture vote on the Motion to Proceed to S. 968 (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011).

In simpler form, the Senate will stop debate on SOPA and put the issue to a vote. Websites such as Wikipedia and Facebook are currently promoting public awareness to enable constituents to assist representatives in deciding whether to oppose or support the SOPA legislation.