Introduction
Net neutrality and the Stop Online Piracy Act
(SOPA) have been surfacing in the world of technology greatly within the past
few months. Net neutrality can be defined as a “widely debated policy issue
that has the potential to alter the dynamics of accessing online content” (Guo
and Cheng, 2012). This means that internet service providers (and the
government) will not be or have control over restricting various platforms of
information and content provided on the internet. On the other hand, the Stop
Online Piracy Act’s aim is to fight against net neutrality in order to hinder
the illegal act of sharing copyrighted material. Net neutrality and the Stop
Online Piracy Act both have potential benefits including full rights to the
creator of intellectual property but they also face legal and ethical issues as
well as security and social problems.
Background
Information
The issue of net
neutrality started in the 1990s when there were threats of the internet coming
to an end. Mark Lemley and Lawrence Lessig believed that “the vertical
integration of cable firms with [internet service providers] would prove a
threat to the e2e design of the internet” (Wu, 2003). Wu states that “network neutrality” relates to
the term “common carrier” which means that a private company is able to deliver
a service to the a public community” which explains the purpose of net
neutrality (2003). Net neutrality was the basis for internet sharing until
recently in 2011 when the House of Representative proposed a bill, Stop Online
Piracy Act H.R. 3261, that would allow the federal law to force web sites, with
illegal content to shut down. The bill was originally introduced by bipartisan
lawmakers on the Judiciary Committee. Specifically, it allowed the “FBI to seek
injunctions against foreign web sites that steal music, films, software and
other intellectual property created by U.S. firms [as well as] hold third
parties responsible for piracy” (Kang, 2011). After the idea was set in motion,
many entertainment industries supported the bill so they would make full profit
off of their content. However, the public consumers are against the bill
because it would make it harder to enjoy the entertainment industry without
fear of being arrested.
Potential
Benefits
Network neutrality poses certain benefits that
potentially outweigh the benefits of the Stop Online Piracy Act. Net neutrality
would allow people from all parts of the globe to access the same information
as well as share media with friends or family that may live across seas. By
itself, the internet is a powerful tool in connecting people, whether one mile
away or across the world. Exercising the idea of net neutrality would enhance
interpersonal relationships and allow people to connect on a more personal
level because they are able to share pieces of themselves that words on a
screen cannot explain. The benefits of the SOPA outstretch to a limited amount
of people, rather than the general public, which include everyone the
entertainment industry and their families. According to Michael O’Leary, “over
2 million Americans across all 50 states earn a living and support their
families in jobs connected to the making of motion pictures and television
shows” (Kang, 2011).
Legal and Ethical
Issues
Imagine making a home video of your child’s birthday
party and posting it on the internet for either the world to see, or set on
private to send to distant family members. Now envision that you are being
arrested (or have to pay a fine) for documenting and sharing a milestone in
your child’s life. With SOPA in full effect, something as simple as the
scenario above could get one in trouble with the law because the ‘happy
birthday’ song is considered copyrighted material (Forbes, 2012). Under the Stop Online Piracy Act, the
government is entitled to act against even unintentional violations of the
bill. This being said, there would be very few people that have not copyrighted
(even if the offense was unintentional) including the authorities themselves.
Surely, if they follow the law to its fullest extent, punishment would have to
be served for them as well. Along with unintentional copyright, some small
companies and independent artists use the internet as a platform to get their
music recognized and make a small profit. There will be no way for the government
to verify that a small site is in affiliation with the artist and it will be
harder for the people in the entertainment industry to be ‘noticed.’ Representative
Mike Honda stated that the bill could “shut down dozens of lawful exchange
sites that are valuable outlets for small-scale buying and selling” (2012).
Security Concerns
The SOPA has the potential to interfere with
cyber security as well. The legislation states that the government can block
certain domain name servers that are known to have pirate material on them, and
instead redirect away from a harmful website. The staff at Forbes magazine says
that that’s “precisely what hackers do when they redirect Internet users to
rogue sites” compromising the integrity and security of personal information
inputted on any certain site (2012).
Blocking DNS and domain name system security extensions would make it
easier for hackers to obtain information, such as credit card numbers, from
common citizens.
Social
Problems
Supporting the SOPA would infringe on the first
amendment on the Bill of Rights: free speech. Sharing material on the internet
allows people across the world to exercise their freedom of speech (The
Chilling Effect of SOPA, 2012). In order
for people to notice just how much of an effect SOPA would have on everyday
internet use, Google, Wikipedia and Reddit teamed together on January 19, 2012
to prove the detrimental aspects of the bill. Google participated by blacking
out their logo, while Wikipedia made their website inaccessible for the day.
This act raised awareness in the public and gained more supporters in the fight
against SOPA (Lang, 2012). Similarly,
although it may be illegal, pirated material brings in more money for the entertainment industries. By placing material on
the internet for consumers to download or watch, many people are exposed to
various types of media that they would have been hesitant to buy without
reinforcement, making the companies more successful. Blogging web sites, such
as tumblr and blogspot, allow people from different countries to converse about
their favorite tv shows and movies with each other and introduce new material,
raising awareness and also brining in money to entertainment companies. The
sites listed above will be taken down if SOPA is passed because they are full
of copyrighted material that the public has altered and posted as their own. However,
even with all the downfalls of SOPA if net neutrality continues to exist,
Bragdon says that “movie studies might as well stop making movies if they’re
just going to be stolen. How are musicians supposed to make a living if their
music is stolen and shared freely?” (2012). Without movies, and more
importantly music, people’s self-expression will disappear along with the
happiness in the world and it ultimately could lead to the world being a
miserable place.
Conclusion
Recently, SOPA
has been repealed and set on the backburner so more important global issues can
be addressed. Even so, people are starting to realize that the online world will
change drastically (and it already has), in response to SOPA. Megaupload, a
file sharing site, has already been taken down because of the unpassed bill. Although
there are benefits and issues with both net neutrality and the Stop Online
Piracy Act, the cons outweigh the pros in relevance to the SOPA. Net neutrality
might mean that entertainment industries will have to forfeit a portion of
their profits to downloads but in the end, it will bring in more consumers with
their wallets close behind.
References
Bragdon, B. (2012, February). SOPA, PIPA, Anonymous: Can
I have a little hope :CSO's publisher looks at a tumultuous January for the
intellectual property landscape. CIO, 25(7), (1). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from ABI/INFORM
Global. (Document ID: 2575866021).
The Chilling
Effect Of SOPA. (2012, January 19). Investor's Business Daily,A13. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from Banking
Information Source. (Document ID: 2563879401).
Forbes, S. (2012,
February). Don’t soft-soap SOPA. Retrieved
from http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2012/01/25/dont-soft-soap-sopa/
Guo, H., Cheng, H., & Bandyopadhyay, S.. (2012).
Net neutrality, broadband market
coverage, and innovation at the edge. Decision
Sciences, 43(1), 141. Retrieved February 26, 2012, from
ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 2590212841).
Kang, C. (2011,
October) House introduces internet piracy
bill. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/house-introduces-internet-piracy-bill/2011/10/26/gIQA0f5xJM_blog.html
Lang, A. (19
January). Anti-piracy bills draw Internet backlash. McClatchy - Tribune
Business News, (1). Retrieved February
26, 2012, from ABI/INFORM Dateline. (Document ID: 2564121511).
OPPOSING SOPA AND
PIPA. (2012, January 19). US Fed News Service, Including US State News, (1). Retrieved February 26, 2012, from General
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Wu, T. (2003). Network
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