Marco Arment has this exactly right. We may have beaten these variations of SOPA and PIPA, but the sad fact of that matter is that they — or something like them — will eventually pass.
Obviously, all things being equal, such bills should never pass. But all things aren’t equal. As with most things, this is actually all about money. The MPAA and the other content lobbies are going to continue to pump money into this until they get what they want.
And again, they will. Consider this: SOPA and PIPA came this close to passing with MPAA head Chris Assclown Dodd banned from direct lobbying. Why is he banned? Because there’s a law that requires politicians to be two years out of office before they can lobby.
Dodd vacated his U.S. Senate seat on January 3, 2011. In a year, he’ll be able lobby all he wants. He’ll be able to directly buy the support of all his former colleagues. He spent 36 years in Washington as both a Senator and Congressman. You think that doesn’t matter? He’s going to be the best lobbyist ever. Which is exactly why the MPAA picked him.
Arment’s hope that people stop supporting the MPAA by stopping watching films clearly isn’t going to happen. But the idea of supporting campaign finance reform to eliminate bullshit lobbying is a good one.
![tastefullyoffensive:
[stop internet censorship]
This is the conversation I had with my grandmother.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxzd6bDffy1qzaxefo1_1280.jpg)
![Educate yourself. [Google]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxzepgprgo1qzs6yjo1_500.jpg)
Educate yourself. [Google]
![newsweek:
Tweets from kids trying to use Wikipedia for their homework—and failing. SOPA!
[h/t gangster curator Katie Notopoulos]
Stop Censorship: If you’re not trolling or capturing moments akin to this on Twitter, you’re doing the Internet wrong.](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxzcrtxnzC1qzs5cqo1_1280.png)
Tweets from kids trying to use Wikipedia for their homework—and failing. SOPA!
Stop Censorship: If you’re not trolling or capturing moments akin to this on Twitter, you’re doing the Internet wrong.
From TechDirt’s article on PROTECT-IP and SOPA, titled “The Definitive Post On Why SOPA And Protect IP Are Bad, Bad Ideas.” If you had to cut down the entire argument to two sentences, these two are the ticket. By the way, in case you missed it the other night, there’s a letter floating around, allegedly sent by NBC Universal to its suppliers, attempting to strongarm them into supporting SOPA. Chew on that while you’re eating your breakfast of turkey and stuffing. (via shortformblog)
This is important.
(via shortformblog)
