The Stop Online Piracy Act –more commonly known as “SOPA“– is a piece of legislation recently introduced by the U.S. House of Representatives which has as its stated goal, protecting copyright holders and their livelihoods.
Unfortunately, in its current form this law is a good example of how the road to hell is often paved with good intentions. It is also a good example of how lobbyists from the RIAA and MPAA can sway Congress (a group that does not have the tech savvy to counter industry spin and half-true arguments), into taking a heavy-handed approach.
I am a staunch supporter of artist’s rights and holding to account those who make unauthorized sales from the work of others, but this bill could ruin the online experience so many creatives count on to make their living. It will stifle this “forum” we’ve created, for responsibly sharing, promoting and discussing our work. It will completely change the vibe of sharing sites like Google+ and Youtube, and may literally torpedo sites like Vimeo.com. That is, it could put Vimeo out of business. That’s to say nothing of sites owned by thousands of creative pros, who count on Vimeo’s affordable, high quality streaming service to get their products out to the world.
