As far as I know, I’m the only person around who actally thinks the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act are good bills. Whenever it’s brought up (and it’s brought up in the strangest places, such as my British literature class), people look at me like I’m crazy. Am I crazy, or are the bills just misunderstood?
Both bills aim to curb the amount of illegal downloading and trafficking of copyrighted propety, particularly that of foreign websites. However, opponents fear that the bills, if made into law, will give the State Department too much power and lead to the censoring of online speech. If you actually look at the text of the bills though, the State Department only has the power to handle websites that facilitate illegal downloads and the like. So as long as you aren’t infringing on copyright laws on the Internet, I’m sure you’ll be fine.
PS I sent off “The Street Urchin’s Gift” yesterday. Let’s hope it finds a good home at a nice magazine.
Rami Ungar The Writer 