A bill giving the government the power to shut down Web sites that host materials that infringe copyright is making its way quietly through the lame-duck session of Congress, raising the ire of free-speech groups and prompting a group of academics to lobby against the effort.
The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA) was introduced in Congress this fall by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT). It would grant the federal government the power to block access to any Web domain that is found to host copyrighted material without permission.
Critics say the bill is both a giveaway to the movie and recording industries and a step towards widespread and unaccountable censorship of the Internet.
Opponents note that the powers given the government under the bill are very broad. Because the bill targets domain names and not specific materials, an entire Web site can be shut down. So for example, if the US determines that there are copyright-infringing materials on YouTube, it could theoretically block access to all of YouTube, whether or not particular material being accessed infringes copyright.
If this passes (and give me a good reason why it won’t), then you know what’s next — China-style censorship for content the government doesn’t like.
Wait, does it applies to all domains (including foreign ones) regardless where the website is hosted (such as not in the US)? I feel some countries might have a problem if it is the case…
Shutdown eBay then, as it is a pirate’s den and counterfeiter’s playground.
“Senate Bill 510″
#1: Yes it does apply to foreign websites. The headline is disingenuous as websites are *not* shutdown, they are trying to be more clever than that. The bill establishes a black list of sites that must be dropped from all DNS servers, e.g., a reference to ‘musicsharesite.com’ would return a 404, site not found.
And yes, that’s lame and easily bypassed. And makes the bill, besides bad in concept, also lame and stupid.
This god-damned evil government is totally out of control. Time for the peasants and peons to storm the Bastille with clubs, pitchforks and torches.
Soon, VERY soon, getting on the web is going to be as much fun as going thru airport security. I wish they’d just stop fucking around and openly launch REX 84…then maybe the people would finally see how deep the shit we are in really is. What will it take to wake up ‘mericans from there generation long coma? Of course, what is going on here is the salami theory being perfectly executed by Hitler’s spawns, i.e remove peoples rights one at a time (like slicing a salami) and before you know it, the salami is gone, and so are our rights.
I thought it was a Marc Perkel article when I saw the title. I’ve known about that bill for years.
Someone wake me up when its time to storm Washington D.C. and hang us some mofos.
materials that infringe copyright
Goodbye YouTube.
Goodbye search engines.
Luc worte
I thought it was a Marc Perkel article when I saw the title. I’ve known about that bill for years.
For years? Well! Aren’t you special! COICA was introduced in Congress this fall by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
And this is a surprise because?
We may have spawned several billion dollar enterprises as a side-effects of the unleashing in the DOD’s internet pet project, but it was definitely not the intent of the internet in the first place.
The internet is as open as the gummint lets it be.
And apparently, the era of free-wheeling is over.
Domestic choke holds are enough to stop the messages, emails, PDFs, audios, videos and other files (be they clear, DRMd or encrypted.)
This gummint can use the fact that other gummints usually aren’t sophisticated enough NOT to rely on the internet for communications.
ISP are stuck using the internet, the CanAmerican gummint can use the Internet 2. (Remember that really fast internet, developed between universities and other research facilities that can shovel data around really fast? Yes THAT ONE!)
The Gummint uses IPv6 on THAT ONE and we get stuck with IPv4 and NAT on “slow” commercially available switches running over “dirty” fiber.
Name one other illegal activity that the government doesn’t have the legal ability to shut down?
Just because it is on the internet doesn’t make it OK to break the law.
And if you think that getting enough signatures from the constituents is going to make them change their mind think again.
Those signatures are useless, at best that paper where they’re signed on will be used as toilet paper because the only signatures these Senators are interested in are the ones on the checks they get from lobbyists and special interest groups..
#11 – Good thing we live in a country where the government never exceeds or abuses it regulatory power.
@GigG Yes, after proving the parties guilty first. Govt. can’t just come to any business and say we think you are operating illegal something… we lock your doors. Govt. can investigate, get Court order and prove wrongdoing to be able to define something illegal. And the accused party has right to defense and is presumed innocent. This puts the whole process on its head for Internet and only Internet. There you are presumed guilty and to be “unlocked” you need to prove you are innocent.
@bb You can easily bypass it now. But it provides legal basis for worse to come. Add to it international treaties and soon whole World could be under Chinese-like Internet oppression. Once passed in principle, its scope and efficiency can easily be expanded.
Don’t worry, if it is defeated in the Lame Duck Congress, the Repukes will BRING IT BACK, IN THE NEW CONGRESS !!! We all know how far up the A$$ of Big Business the Repukes have their noses !!!
#15 JimD
Nice try, but the bill was written and introduced by by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT).
Helpless is the boy or girl, that just knows how to point and click ….
What delusional person sees the future as a bright and cheery place ?
Now to eat, all this talk of salami has made me hungry.
As anyone who watches “Law & Order” knows, with the Patriot Act, the government can do anything to anyone for any reason.
It’s a good thing that Obama will repeal it as soon as he is elected. Wait, what? He got elected 2 years ago?
#17 Jm,
Everyone knows we have to protect our children from these images
http://superdickery.com/images/stories/oneshot/smartbombstudios-justice.jpg
@jbenson2,
You are on a roll, stop using logic and facts by golly! I would add to your your post #13 that it does it at the behest of large corporations and ultra-rich individuals. Think of how ridiculous the copyright and patent laws have become…