Protect IP/ The Cost of Infringement - STOP SOPA

Protect IP/ The Cost of Infringement – STOP SOPA

I really try to shy away from politics on my blog. But the Sopa and Pipa laws are getting a lot of buzz today. The bill was drafted to stop piracy. Of course, stealing is wrong, but I am not sure this bill is the answer. While I am not a lawyer, I have spoke with a trademark lawyer and I know that a lot of things that we do, share, and use are in fact someone’s intellectual property. In fact, what immediately comes to mind is the things we post and share on Youtube. A lot of what we watch, embed, and view are all copy-right protected. If I wanted to read my children a book that I didn’t write and upload it on Youtube, I could be infringing on someone’s trademark. Frankly, I could not even sing a major song and post it online because the song would not be mine to post.

As bloggers it is easy for us to quickly say that it won’t affect us, but we really don’t know how far reaching this bill will go. Something about it definitely makes me uneasy. We need to find a way to uphold integrity, but not at the expense of censorship.

Please write Congress now! Don’t let the bill pass. Visit http://sopastrike.com/#how-to-strike

January 24th Congress will vote, hopefully the right decision will be made.