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Realized something about SOPA

If fandoms go down then that therefore is the end of fan sites and fan created work. However if this happens, most original works will LOSE their fanbases and therefore money. SOPA will never pass. Even if they manage to get it close, too many people are saying it violates free speech.
 
As soon as we create something, original or character wise, it becomes something real, it in reality becomes fandom in itself. It won't pass; everything containing fandom would be shut down and there goes more than seventy percent of what most people do on the internet, as least given my experience as I spend quite a good deal of time on art sites, fanfiction sites, fandom blogs, and fandom boards like CMDA - Cheeky Monkeys for Dragon Age.

It would be so sad. :,(
 
Honestly, when I posted it (shortly before heading to work), I really do not know. I fear it will be up to the company to decide and then use the US Gov to shut down a site. Someone gave a bad review with game footage, and its taken down. And I know some companies don't like their characters to be used in certain ways. Nintendo's Mario need to be kid/family friendly. So the possibility exists. Its the total lack of due process that makes this bill so bad.

For those who have the time, you can read it here: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-h3261/text

And what got most in a fit, Sec 103 (c) (5) :

RELIEF- On application of a qualifying plaintiff following the commencement of an action under this section with respect to an Internet site dedicated to theft of U.S. property, the court may issue a temporary restraining order, a preliminary injunction, or an injunction, in accordance with rule 65 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, against a registrant of a domain name used by the Internet site, or against an owner or operator of the Internet site, or, in an action brought in rem under paragraph (2), against the Internet site, or against the domain name used by the Internet site, to cease and desist from undertaking any further activity as an Internet site dedicated to theft of U.S. property.

And injunction is a take down, where cease and desist is just a warning. Then it gets tied up in the courts. THIS HAS HAPPENED BEFORE. And it took a full year before the government said, "My mistake".

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20111208/08225217010/breaking-news-feds-falsely-censor-popular-blog-over-year-deny-all-due-process-hide-all-details.shtml
 
And guess who just so happens to be the big supporters in all of this. http://judiciary.house.gov/issues/Rouge%20Websites/SOPA%20Supporters.pdf

And Patricio, that signature image is what I feel like doing to each and every single one of these people.
 
I doubt it will kill fan fics even if it passes. Some groups are pretty lenient with what they let their fans do a lot with their work and as they say, the net is a big place.
 
Two updates I found earlier today.

1) People are finding ways to get around a SOPA block: http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2011/12/21/sopa-haters-are-already-finding-easy-ways-to-circumvent-its-censorship/

2) A Pro-copyright group says its against SOPA... and its one of the right wing's biggest advocacy groups!: http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57346829-281/pro-copyright-group-takes-sopa-to-task/
 
Note: I don't write fan fiction. I use original characters, so this really doesn't bother me, but a lot of people seem flustered.

SOPA's intention is to fight piracy and stop copyright infringement, yes. However, the organization is targeting sites that have no right to be streaming or else wise distributing copyrighted material, and are taking away from profits where they should justly be going. They've already done this with music. You can't burn and sell CDs legally unless you own rights. It's the same deal as me owing a portion of profit to the Alloy Orchestra for using a piece they created in one of my films. It's their original work; they deserve the credit, the money.

The only reason SOPA would affect fan fiction is if the story or stories were derived of an excessive portion of the original work. Otherwise known as "plagiarism." And this is illegal to begin with. There was a case years back revolving around copyright infringement and the portraying of characters from a certain television show. I can't recall the name off the top of my head. How it ended, however, I do remember.

The company realized the mistake they made--someone here mentioned there would be a loss of fan base, and that happened. They lost profits because they angered their fan base who was simply having harmless fun.

This is where the fair use clause (http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html) comes in. Fan fiction, as long as the author(s) are not earning a profit, is considered non-commercial, and therefore not a copyright infringement. The same applies to those who enjoy writing collaborative fan fictions (role-plays).

These companies vying for due rights and profits to their original material have a right to do so. However, they're not so unintelligent to "piss off" their fan base when they know it will mean a giant cut in their pocketbooks.

I know I would be livid to find any of my independent work being sold and profited on by someone else. I may be biased as a film student, though. Because SOPA benefits me by protecting my work.
 
You cannot kill fanfiction so long as there are fangirls and fanboys with journals and imaginations.

But this sounds really bad. :( I would be depressed if it actually went through, as would many authors/authoress.
 
Honestly, I think SOPA's initial intentions sort of made sense, however, from the looks of it, the bill is worded very badly. This bill could put a lot of other restraints on the internet, almost to the point of being alarming. Sort of like China. Internet constantly being policed. This bill actaully bothers me quite a bit because of this.
 
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