No. More. Ruddy. OWLS.

I thought it would be good for us all if we had a big list of problematic copyright laws that need to be stopped, along with information about these laws and petitions to stop them. I know not all of you believe in petitions, but it’s also important to bring attention to these pieces of legislation, so that we can make the phone calls, send the e-mails, and create the protests - like the blackout that stopped SOPA and PIPA, which was effective. The information I have here is to the best of my knowledge, so if anything is incorrect or if I’ve missed a bill, please feel free to add to or edit this post.

This is about our freedom, our rights, and our community! I know you’re tired of it, but constant vigilance is necessary! If we have to get out in the streets and pull out every stop to use our governments’ corruption against them, to make them do what we the people want, so be it!

 SOPA & PIPA

United States

Status: Shelved

We’ve all heard about these two bills by now, which would block domain names without even a court hearing, and we know they’ve been pretty much shelved for the time being. But remember that they can be brought back any time that Congress thinks we’re not watching them closely.

More info here.

ACTA

International

Status: Active & Threatening

ACTA is an international treaty, negotiated in secret by officials not elected by the people we didn’t elect, that could allow for a myriad of rights violations, including terminating your internet access for even mild copyright infringement, allowing customs to search your ipod and laptop for copyrighted materials, and, you know, a bunch of stuff. Many countries, including the US, have already signed it. However, please note that ACTA is a treaty, not a law, which means it holds no real power and the individual countries signing it would have to pass laws to uphold the treaty. For instance, in the US, to make ACTA work we’d have to pass SOPA and PIPA first, or a similar bill. It’s not an instant internet killer. Our current goals are to get the EU to reject this treaty, effectively dismantling it, and it would be nice if we could get the US to submit it to Congress since Obama signed it despite not having the Constitutional right to do so.

Information

A detailed breakdown

Access NOW petition against ACTA

Petition to submit to the US Congress

H.R. 1981

United States

Status: Active & Threatening

Another concoction by Lamar Smith, complete with an almost Orwellian title, that would require your ISP to keep logs of everything you do on the internet for up to a year after you purchase anything online. A threat to your privacy and your security. And all under the guise of protecting children.

Information

TTP

International

Status: Active & Threatening

It’s like ACTA but worse, and for all intents and purposes, it seems like the United States attempting to enforce its messed-up copyright system all over the world, in other countries over which it has no jurisdiction. Just as he signed ACTA without the right to do so, Obama is currently conducting negotiations on TTP with no transparency and no approval by Congress. There’s a possibility we may have caught ACTA too late, but if we gear up to stop this now, we can do something about it.

Information

So there it is guys. I have not included OPEN because my understanding was this bill was much more benevolent and designed to protect the rights of internet users, but if you can find me proof that OPEN is also a threat, feel free to add it to this post. And remember, look at history - the corporations tried to stop the VCR years ago, and now they’re trying to stop the internet. It’s time for us to stop them, and make them get with the times.