As students, we see the Internet as an integral part of our lives. We grew up with the world at our fingertips. Studying for school, networking with friends, laughing at cats and countless other online activities have become part of who we are as a generation.
Two pieces of legislation currently in the United States Congress — the Protect IP Act (PIPA) and the now-stalled Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) — could harm everything that makes the Internet so great. By allowing the government to block access to Internet domains infringing on a copyright, as well as allowing copyright holders to sue websites that may link to their intellectual property, these bills harm the free flow of information to which we’ve become so accustomed.
Yes, the piracy of copyrighted material is a problem. Quality products come at a cost, and those that create should be protected. But neither bill aims to actually eliminate pirate websites, most of which exist outside of the United States’ jurisdiction. Savvy users will still be able to pirate the blocked information in a roundabout way. The bills only create mechanisms for greater information control and censorship. By treating the symptoms of piracy as opposed to the cause, those innocent of wrongdoing suffer.
The best way to fight copyright infringement is not excessive regulation. Rather, the opening of legal, profitable and appealing avenues for users goes a long way to discourage illicit activities. Services like Netflix, Spotify and Grooveshark serve as good models for distribution; SOPA and PIPA’s proponents should stop trying to protect bad marketing strategies and instead focus on products that people will want to buy, not pirate.
These pieces of legislation threaten us as students, threaten us as consumers and threaten our rights to free speech and expression. Sharing and building on one another’s ideas is such a key part of how we discover information that even the smallest restrictions should serve as cause for scrutiny and concern.
Legislators must further engage with tech and entertainment experts as well as the American public and find a solution that protects copyrighted property without chipping away at the rights and values we all hold dear.
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