There has been a lot of attention given to two bills going through the US Senate and House of Representatives. The Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) is being pushed through the House and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) is going through the Senate. Many executives at large corporations and other groups have been very outspoken against these bills. Many lawmakers defend the bills and say that they will help stop copyright infringement.
So who is right? Will these bills potentially hurt open content creation online? Or will they still allow creative content, but truly stop violations of copyright laws? It is hard to know without looking at the wording of the bill itself. It is a bit daunting to read a bill and try to understand its wording.
Luckily Sal Khan from the Khan Academy has made a video walking through some of the wording in the bill that has raised the most concern. He puts it into language that is easy to understand. It gives a clear picture of the possible problems that could arise if these bills pass as they stand January 18, 2012.
Click on the link below to watch the video and tell us what you think. Don’t forget to tell your elected representatives how you feel as well.
Wed, Jan 18, 2012
Big Government, Regulation, Technology