Stand Up Against the Stop Online Piracy Act/Protect IP Act!

Since the beginning of our existence as a fansite, it has always been our policy to allow active discussion/debate on politics (regardless of political affiliation) and attempt to abstain from posting anything politically motivated on our front page, to keep LPA about Linkin Park, and Linkin Park alone.

However; a recent development in the United States Senate/House has developed which is cause for concern. This Thursday, a bill is going up against a full committee for a vote that will censor the internet, free speech and possibly even affect parts of LPA as we know it. The bill (known as the Stop Online Piracy Act/Protect IP act) would criminalize posting all sorts of standard web content -- music playing in the background of videos, footage of people dancing, kids playing video games, and posting video of people playing cover songs.

Since The Linkin Park Association's "headquaters" are based in America, and since our site revolves around the band Linkin Park (who's likenesses, name, album art, lyrics, tabs and media are all essentially under copyright), shall this law pass it could effectively give the government/record labels/corporations full authority to shut down the LPAssociation if they feel our news postings, gallery or any other section of this site are in violation of intellectual property or copyrights.

We have always worked with record labels to ban the posting of copyrighted mp3s/material on our boards, and have even removed media at request of record labels in the past, but with this new law, it could essentially change the way the LPA operates as a fansite forever.

Please go to the following links to learn how you can take a stand, and tell your local congressman to fight against this terrible bill:
http://americancensorship.org/
http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act
http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/12/14/s...-for-showdown/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1099214.html
http://www2.macleans.ca/2011/11/24/s...-the-internet/


We hope to make a difference, and as always, thanks for supporting the LPA. Your 10 years of support is more than appreciated. Also please refrain from turning the comments into a political debate. This news post is to spread the word, not discuss what presidential candidate is best, or to debate about the US government. Save that for our Serious Chat board in our Forums!

**UPDATE**: The vote on this has currently been delayed till Saturday. Keep calling, and keep protesting against this bill. Congress needs to know that the public does not support this bill!

**UPDATE 2**: Thanks to the efforts of people like you, discussions have collapsed on SOPA and the vote will be delayed until next year. Although, the vote is still proposed to happen next year, this delay is a victory for internet activists as quoting huffingtonpost.com: "The deeper into 2012 the vote on the bill is pushed back, the more likely the legislation is to die in an election year." However; we must continue to promote internet freedom in America, and remind our congressmen that corporations cannot own this country. More information here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/16/sopa-vote-delayed_n_1154347.html

 

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if it did. I'm anticipating passage.

 

That's what they said about the Patriot Act, and that passed with flying colors.

 

I've signed as many online petitions against that as have come my way, but, yeah, I can't really call anyone's ... representatives. :*