Web Censorship Bill S. 3804 Passes Senate Committee

[Jim Kelly]

Web Censorship Bill S. 3804 Passes Senate Committee

Jim Kelly & Various sources

PATRIOT FREEDOM

Nov. 19,2010

S.3804 : Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act
Sponsor: Sen Leahy, Patrick J. [VT] (introduced 9/20/2010) Cosponsors (18)

The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill that would give the Attorney General the right to shut down websites with a court order if copyright infringement is deemed “central to the activity” of the
site — regardless if the website has actually committed a
crime. Among the sites that could go dark if the law passes: Dropbox,
RapidShare, SoundCloud, Hype Machine and any other site for which the Attorney
General deems copyright infringement to be “central to the activity” of the
site, according to Electronic Frontier Foundation, a digital rights group that
opposes the bill.

Scholars, lawyers, technologists, human rights groups and public interest groups have denounced the bill. Forty-nine prominent law professors called it “dangerous.” (pdf.) The American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch warned the bill could have “grave repercussions for global human
rights.” (pdf.) Several dozen of the most prominent internet engineers in the country
— many of whom were instrumental in the creation of the internet — said the bill
will “create an environment of tremendous fear and uncertainty for technological
innovation.” (pdf.) Several prominent conservative
bloggers, including representatives from RedState.com,
HotAir.com, The Next Right and Publius Forum, issued a call to help stop this
“serious threat to the Internet.” More

Critics say the bill is both a giveaway to the movie and recording industries and a step towards widespread and unaccountable censorship of the Internet.

Powers in the bill could be used for political purposes. If the whistleblower Web site WikiLeaks is found to be hosting copyrighted material, for instance, access to WikiLeaks could be blocked for all US Internet
users.

"Even more significant and more troubling, the Act represents a retreat from the United States’ historical position as a bulwark and beacon against censorship and other threats to freedom of expression, freedom of
thought, and the free exchange of information and ideas around the
globe."

Patriot Freedom stands against this bill, for the future of what this Government will do using this;AS A WAY TO DISMANTLE THE FIRST
AMENDMENT