It probably comes as no surprise to anyone that we at Critical Myth do not support SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) or PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act). But it may not be immediately obvious why, so I wanted to give some idea as to the impact this legislation could have.
The vast majority of the content on Critical Myth is completely in line with copyright and intellectual property laws (some violations may exist with the oldest content, where Fair Use interpretations have shifted over time). In fact, we enjoy the benefits of those laws ourselves, since everything we do is protected by copyright and even trademark law. And as a recognized media outlet, we also have access to a wide variety of materials for our review and use: advance screenings, advance reader copies, photos, videos, and so forth. Those pictures that come with every review? Those are provided, with very few exceptions, by the networks and studios themselves.
But that’s not always apparent. It’s easy enough to prove, but therein lies the problem. SOPA/PIPA allows anyone to report that this site, and any other, is using copyrighted material without authorization, and without any due process that would allow us to defend our legal right to use provided materials, we could be held liable to massive fines, if not worse.
This is not just confined to photos and such. On occasion, we link to official trailers that are provided on You Tube, for example. However, if someone were to question the source of the video, they wouldn’t need to check and prove their point. They could simply report us for linking to suspicious materials!
It gets even worse from there. Let’s say we link to something legitimate on another website, and somewhere else on that site, there is copyrighted material that is being illegally offered. It is entirely unclear whether or not we could then be held viable for linking to a site that facilitates online piracy.
It’s not a matter of proper documentation, because these bills specifically circumvent due process. That’s the issue. We could immediately cease including photos, linking to official studio videos, or any other current activity that falls within the purview of Fair Use, and it would still be possible for someone to take our posts, copy them into their own blog, and then report us for infringing on copyright. And just on the basis of the accusation, we could be fined.
It should not take long to realize how quickly this would render the everyday utility of the Internet, for nearly every public, private, or commercial purpose, completely non-viable.
And those who do not see the dangers of the Citizens United ruling might also consider that these bills are being pushed by politicians who received massive campaign contributions from the very corporations that crafted and favor this legislation. In a very real sense, this is perfect example of corporations dictating law over the interests and outspoken preferences of the majority of Americans.
The irony is, of course, that those who already pirate material and violate intellectual property laws are already well aware of how to circumvent these new “protections” and continue with their activities. They have publicly announced as much. Which means SOPA/PIPA would only serve to limit the freedoms of those who follow the laws that already exist.
For this reason, we at Critical Myth stand in complete opposition to SOPA/PIPA.
Thank you.
