If you are seeing this, it is because you are here before 8 AM or after 8 PM Eastern Time January 18, 2012 because I am joining many other bloggers and websites in the blackout to protest the SOPA and PIPA bills that are moving through Congress. Why should a kitty care about what is going on in Washington, DC… and why should you care? Because it would destroy the internet as you know it.
Boing Boing has a great explanation about what would happen if these bills were to pass into law. I will quote directly from that page here because they will be blacked out today and you might not be able to see it otherwise:
“Boing Boing could never co-exist with a SOPA world: we could not ever link to another website unless we were sure that no links to anything that infringes copyright appeared on that site. So in order to link to a URL on LiveJournal or WordPress or Twitter or Blogspot, we’d have to first confirm that no one had ever made an infringing link, anywhere on that site. Making one link would require checking millions (even tens of millions) of pages, just to be sure that we weren’t in some way impinging on the ability of five Hollywood studios, four multinational record labels, and six global publishers to maximize their profits.
“If we failed to take this precaution, our finances could be frozen, our ad broker forced to pull ads from our site, and depending on which version of the bill goes to the vote, our domains confiscated, and, because our server is in Canada, our IP address would be added to a US-wide blacklist that every ISP in the country would be required to censor.”
Many of the very same things could happen to me, even though I’m just a kitty. Or rather, it could happen to my human, who manages my food and living arrangements. And it’s not just fun sites like mine or Boing Boing — this also impacts your freedom to protest against anything you believe to be wrong and your ability to connect with like-minded humans, whether it is concerns a disease you have or an app you are making.
Why would anyone support such an awful thing? The entertainment conglomerates think it will put an end to piracy, but they are wrong because humans who commit illegal acts will do them no matter what. For example, sending out spam emails is against the law, but it is still going on! The bottom line is the entertainment industry was too lazy and slow to adjust to the changes brought about by the internet and they are now suffering for it. But instead of using their sizable resources to adapt and adjust to this now not-so-new reality, they are trying to cripple it.
Don’t let this happen! Contact your congress people and let them know they must say no to SOPA and PIPA! Time is of the essence — the Senate may vote on this as early as January 24! Click here for an easy way to contact Congress if you are in the US, or to contact the State Department if you are an international visitor.
Purrs and kitty thanks!
See all of Summer’s merch at her Designercat Shop, available on Zazzle.
yay!!!!! it was dropped. 😀
Dearest Sparkle
As Canadian Cats (and dogs) we know that whatever happens with yous guys, affects us big time! The way we sees it is as a Money grab by big businesses as the only peoples who will really make money is them and the lawyers). Do Warner Bros or Disney pay any of the royalties theys collects to the artists? (Wait–they was employees, employees can’t has royalties)
We thinks it should be more like the Drug companies. They can collect for a period of time and they has exclusive rights, but as soon as that time is up, anybody can use it.
(the origninal premise behind copyrighting).
Anyway
That is our opinion
Kisses
Nellie
That was well said Sparkle! I also agree this bill is bad for everyone affected especially your human. I also posted, blacked out one of my blogs, tweeted, shared on facebook, plus I emailed all three of my representatives! Let’s keep the internet as it is, and fight piracy in other ways.
Ha ha ha @ William! Let me add: Politicians + Money = EBIL
This was a super-good explanation of everything Sparkle. Ushully, I don’t pay any ‘ttenshun to the Human stuff but this seems real, real, real bad. Worse even than what Humans ushully do.
BAD senators, BAD congressmen, BAD
Politicians + anything = nonsense.
Mom is ready to take a bite out of SOPA, PIPA and any of our reps and senators that vote for them! And we cats can join her too! HISS!
People will always do evil. If only they would use their energies for good. What a world we would live in
I’d like this on Facebook but really Sparkle–what is there to like?!
Ridiculous bills. Congress would be better off censoring themselves.
We are protesting today too, Sparkle, though we won’t be blacked out from 8am-8pm. We think these are bad bad bills!!
We didn’t know about this until we read your blog today. We have been to the international site and voted.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
We didn’t know about this. We are going to follow your link as international visitors.
We have joined you with a STOP CENSORSHIP banner. Well meowed Sparkle. xx
We just signed the petition to the State Department which is as much as we foreigners can do. It is an unfair law.
Miss Sparkle, You are not only the kitty !
You are always be a good part of Socialty ! Good for you, Fight for it !!
I just came from Raymond & Busby, they are on this protest too, but first, I don’t understand what is all about cause …like you know I live in Australia and more impawtants..Mom is always lack of news ! Thanks for explanation.
Purrs