Influential Event #8

    Free speech is a right we take for granted everyday. We don’t think about copyright infringement when we post videos or song lyrics on Facebook, YouTube, or Tumblr. We have never had to worry about it, until now. Now the government and millions of Americans are in a bitter debate about Internet piracy. The government has proposed two bills: The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). The purpose of these bills is to make it harder for sites- especially those located outside the United States- to sell or distribute pirated copyrighted material such as movies and music. But these two acts will do just the opposite; they will stifle online innovation, violate the First Amendment, and virtually shut down sights like YouTube.

   The Internet is an influential tool in protesting monumental events around the globe. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter have been at the forefront of uprisings around the world, services that act as message boards for change. In the digital age we are able to reach more people with our message and make a larger impact. The Internet provides the means of catching the attention of the masses in a way none can ignore. Across the web, major sites are expressing their opposition in a way not before seen: directly and publicly, to the point of dismantling themselves entirely. Wikipedia went dark and a black banner covered up the Google logo. Their protests worked, Google moved 4.5 million to sign the petition against the two bills and 1% of all posts on Twitter were about Wikipedia’s blackout. The government should never have the power to control the flow of information. 

Pogue, David. "Copyrights and Internet Piracy (SOPA and PIPA Legislation)." The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 18 Jan. 2012. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://  topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/c/copyrights/index.html?  scp=1-spot>.