Help Stop SOPA/PIPA

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What is SOPA/PIPA?

From Wikipedia:

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as House Bill 3261 or

.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives on October 26, 2011, byHouse Judiciary Committee Chair Representative Lamar Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group

of 12 initial co-sponsors. The bill, if made law, would expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods.

So what does this have to do with non-profits?

Since there is currently no definition of what an “intellectual property right infringement” might be, your site could get cited under SOPA or PIPA because of links included in your online newsletter or stories

on your website. If your agency gets cited, anyone, including possible donors and supporters will not be able to find you online via Google or other search engines and you won’t be seen in their search results. If these bills pass, companies could shut down sites based on accusation alone.

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Go to Stop American Censorship for more information and a bunch of ways you can take action quickly, easily, and painlessly. The Senate votes in two weeks, and we need to help at least 41 more senators see reason before then. Please. Make your voice heard.

TODAY: If you click through to the Wikipedia site, you can write your Congressman and Senator and ask them to oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act (Congress) or the Protect IP Act (Senate). Here is a sample letter:

For Congress:
I”m writing to you to ensure that you oppose the Stop Online Piracy Act and make sure that it remains shelved.

We all oppose piracy, but we don”t want to give the government broad censorship powers that would provide a mechanism to shut down web sites arbitrarily by accusing a site of piracy.

For Senate:
I”m writing to you to request that you vote against the Protect IP Act.

We all oppose piracy, but we don”t want to give the government broad censorship powers that would provide a mechanism to shut down web sites arbitrarily by accusing a site of piracy.