Stop Online Piracy Act

Let's hear it for piracy!

T' Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as House Bill 3261 or H.R. 3261, be a bill that was introduced in t' United States House o' Representatives on Oct. 26, 2011, by House Judiciary Committee Chair Representative Lamar S. Smith (R-TX) and a bipartisan group o' 12 initial co-sponsors. T' bill, if made law, would expand t' ability o' U.S. law enforcement and copystarboard holders t' fight online traffickin' in copystarboarded intellectual booty and counterfeit booty. Presented t' t' House Judiciary Committee, it builds on t' similar PRO-IP Act o' 2008 and t' correspondin' Senate bill, t' PROTECT IP Act.

Proponents o' t' bill say it protects t' intellectual booty market and correspondin' industry, jobs and revenue, and be necessary t' bolster enforcement o' copystarboard laws, especially against foreign websites. They cite examples such as Google's $500 million settlement with the Department of Justice for its role in a scheme to target U.S. consumers with ads to illegally import prescription drugs from Canadian pharmacies.

Opponents say that it violates t' First Amendment, be Internet censorship, will cripple t' Internet, and will threaten whistle-blowin' and other free speech actions. Opponents have initiated a number of protest actions, including petition drives, boycotts of companies that support the legislation, and planned service blackouts by English Wikipedia and major Internet companies scheduled to coincide with the next Congressional hearing on the matter.

I'm guessin' that you don't want t' see me, Steampunk Addie, crippled by whistle-blowin' and other free speech actions.

Argh!