The Sweeping Powers Granted By SOPA Could Affect Asexual Sites
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- Category: Cake Recipes
- Published on Wednesday, 11 January 2012 16:40
- Written by Lara Landis
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The Stop Online Piracy could have a large effect on Asexual communities. The act, which is designed to stop infringement of U.S. Copyrights gives the holders of the copyrights the opportunity to shut down websites that the owner believes is infringing on U.S. Copyright holders or is 'injurious to the public health'. Internet users have opposed the bill.
As a community that exists largely on the Internet, Asexual sites, particularly the larger sites, such as AVEN and Apositive, can be targeted because of an improperly posted picture. The wording of the bill allows the site accused of copyright infringement to remain online, as long as the owner of the site acts in good faith. The remedies for a website owner whose site has been deemed injurious to the public health are less clear.
The bill is not supposed to be used to violate the First Amendment's right to freedom of speech. Critics of the bill fear the bill can build a “great firewall of America" and that it can be used by large companies to prevent smaller companies from competing.
Asexual sites may not attempt to violate copyright laws. Even this site, whose pictures from Morguefile.com or Wikimedia Commons, may fall prey to the law if someone posts an image to Wikimedia without the proper copyright. Few Asexual sites have the money or the political power to fight a large company if a complaint is made against them under the terms of the Stop Online Piracy Act. Either congress does not understand SOPA or the law represents an unacceptable power grab. AVEN, Apositive and similar sites may not get shut down, but the bill's sweeping powers may mean that one complaint is enough to shut down the site.
Sources:
Tell Electronic Arts to Oppose Internet Censorship
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Honestly, I don't want either myself or anybody being unjustifiably penalized because of government redtape. I'm openly opposed to these law bills 
