Free Talk Live

Imagine surfing the internet without being able to watch videos on YouTube, share with your friends on FaceBook, look at pictures of your best friend's new baby on Flickr or read news headlines from reddit. Luckily this is not reality, though it could be if the Congress passes H.R. 3261 the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

Essentially, SOPA would claim the federal government “owns” the internet and will have the ability shut-down any website that commits a copyright infringement, whether willfully or not.

New allegations coming out that the supporters of SOPA in fact are culpible of promoting the copyright infringment of their own materials over several years.

Website hosting company GoDaddy has officially voiced its support for the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) Bill in 2012, which is designed to thwart movie and music piracy on the Internet by empowering copyright holders to effectively shut down websites or online services found with infringing material. If passed, the U.S. government could blacklist any website it deems in violation of copyright, which could range from a few posts in a Web forum to a few links sent in an e-mail.

SOPA and PIPA have been shelved but the government’s plan to censor the public is an ongoing threat. Enter the "Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement" aka ACTA, an international trade agreement whose supposed sole purpose is to forge ahead with tackling counterfeited goods and -- suprise, surprise -- copyright infringement.

What does a bill like PIPA/SOPA mean to our shareable world? At the TED offices, Clay Shirky delivers a proper manifesto -- a call to defend our freedom to create, discuss, link and share, rather than passively consume.

Storyline: SOPA Controversy Explained

SOPA and PIPA: Just the Facts
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) have been making headlines, but what are they, exactly? Here are the facts.

The Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act are getting more negative attention, as major websites such as Wikipedia plan to protest the bills with blackouts on Wednesday. Even Google will join the action, with a link on its homepage explaining why the company opposes the legislation.

New international version of SOPA seeks to create a transnational enforcement agency to make arrests and shut down sites that link to copyrighted material.

Proposed revisions to copyright law would make "illegal streaming" of music and video a felony offense and would allow FBI to wiretap those who are suspected of violating copyright law.

SOPA Opera

Where Do Your Members of Congress Stand on SOPA and PIPA?