Wednesday, January 25, 2012

SOPA, Blackouts, and Pirates, Oh My!

(I just have a lot of feelings! Also, this sucker got published in Rexburg Idaho's most trusted news source. Want proof? Find yourself a copy of the Jan. 24th Standard Journal, turn to the Opinion page, and read for your self.)

Millions of people all over the world heaved a collective sigh of relief on the morning of Jan. 20th. A day after the single largest internet strike in history,  Rep. Lamar Smith withdrew the controversial SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) from legislative consideration. Just an hour later, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that a vote on SOPA’s sister bill, PIPA (Protect IP Act), would be put on hold indefinitely. This was seen as a great victory for all of us who see freedom of information as the basis for a strong and stable democracy. I want you to imagine a world without the internet. I know for some of you that won’t be that difficult. But for those of my generation and younger who have come to depend on that soft glow of the computer screen, this world is unacceptable. The internet has reshaped the very fabric of the world. It has changed the way we interact with each other and the way we teach and learn.

What SOPA would have done is cut off access to millions of webpages that are found to be hosting or providing access to copyrighted material. This means that if you put a link on your Facebook page to a YouTube video for your new favorite Lady Gaga song, Facebook would be obligated to cut off all access to your page. This has massive implications for continued net neutrality and creative commons use. The public has a fundamental right to use and access this information on the internet. There are countless underground communities of incredibly creative individuals that use copyrighted material to create everything from art to literature to music. Anyone who doesn’t believe me needs to spend 15 min. scrolling though Tumblr and you will see what I mean. Draconian copyright laws have the power to crush these thriving communities. You have these multi-billion corporations crying foul when 13 year olds and grandmothers download the newest episode of Community or make a video of themselves dancing to a Michael Jackson song. What we really need is to experience a fundamental paradigm shift –freedom of speech must begin to incorporate ideas of fair use.

Now, I know what some of you are thinking. SOPA (and PIPA) were originally created to put an end to the reign of digital pirates illegally downloading and sharing copyrighted material. This is a real problem! Or is it? Proponents of these types of laws point to the millions of dollars in decreased CD sales since the advent of digital music sharing. But, according to an International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) study published in 2009, music sharers (pirates) are 64% more likely than regular music buyers to purchase music online. These so called "freeloaders" simply have a greater demand for music than the average person, one that their limited budgets can't deal with. This goes the same for other forms of digital media. People who are labeled pirates buy the majority of movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and computer/video games but don't have the means to fulfill their demand and so they supplement their purchases with free material.


The real problem is the entertainment industry’s refusal to change their business model. They need to rethink the way the distribute their products. Record companies, TV networks, and the film industry want to cut down on illegal downloading? I’ve got five pretty simple solutions that don’t require government censorship. 1) Make your TV show/music/movie/whatever available online; 2) put ads on it so you can make money off of it, or (even better) sell the viewing rights to a video streaming service, like Netflix or Hulu; 3) make it available everywhere not just the country of origin; 4) make is available as soon as it airs/becomes legally offered—not  the next day or the next week, literally as soon as physically possible; and finally 5) realize that the old primary methods of distribution (CDs, theatres, cable TV, etc.) are premium services and are just way too expensive to rely on any longer especially in a world of  internet streaming. 

Yes, I know. I just saved the entertainment industry. You’re welcome. I’ll be expecting a check in the mail. 

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