Does Obama Get Credit for Death of SOPA? Update: Rs are bailing on SOPA/PIPA

[airdata]

I'd like to think it has something to do with the overwhelming public response to SOPA.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

I'd like to think it has something to do with the overwhelming public response to SOPA.

If that was true he wouldn't of signed the NDAA when everyone else was hung over.

 

[Fern]

It would be nice if someone could concisely explain SOPA and the uproar about it to a non-IT professional like myself.

Every thing I've stumbled upon so far is too esoteric and jargon laden to glean any real understanding of the issue.

(As far as motive, after the pipeline deal I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Obama merely delay until after the election to avoid the political backlash.)

Fern

 

[Anarchist420]

I think that the Republicans' 2010 gains are going to be reversed if they nominate Romney.

 

[umbrella39]

I think that the Republicans' 2010 gains are going to be reversed if they nominate Romney.

This is a very good point and not something that I think most voters even realize in the big scheme of things... he, imo as well, would be toxic for their chances of holding those gains. Neither of the Rick's are electable either but their presence on the ballot could hold those gains.

 

[Jaskalas]

No. He isn't trying to do what is right, he's doing what is politically expedient for his re-election. We all know the bill will come back in a different form, or tacked onto other bills as riders, and Obama will sign that through while the country isn't paying attention.

If he had said he would not sign SOPA, and that he disagreed with what it sought to do, i.e. that he would not sign it as a rider attached to other bills, THEN he would deserve credit.

100% agreement. Congress, corrupt as it is, will successfully sneak this into one of their larger bills and whoever is President WILL sign it.

 

[DaveSimmons]

No, Obama had nothing to do with it. The WH announcement was just jumping on the bandwagon.

Ccongresscritters introduced SOPA in response to "support" from content companies. They're now backpedaling in response to "urging" from internet, software, hardware companies, plus a bit of public outcry and pointing out how the critters' own sites violate SOPA.

("Support" and "urging" should not be confused with future campaign contributions, or the threat to withdraw them. Really! )

 

[sactoking]

It would be nice if someone could concisely explain SOPA and the uproar about it to a non-IT professional like myself.

Every thing I've stumbled upon so far is too esoteric and jargon laden to glean any real understanding of the issue.

(As far as motive, after the pipeline deal I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Obama merely delay until after the election to avoid the political backlash.)

Fern

SOPA would have put the onus on internet service providers and search engines and whatnot to ensure that any content they served was not infringing on anyone's IP. It would have allowed the courts and gov't to force same ISPs and other intermediaries to remove websites that allegedly contained infringing content without having to prove anything.

Basically, it would have enacted the American version of China's Great Firewall.

 

[monovillage]

Obama never got credit for bagging OBL by the Rightist so I doubt we will see any credit coming his way on this issue.

Look back at the OBL is dead thread, I gave Obama full credit for it. In this case i'll give him a little bitty credit, maybe 2 bits.

 

[mcmilljb]

The feds and law enforcement need to stay out of our digital bedrooms. My use (or misuse) of copyrighted material is between me and the copyright holder. Their right is to challenge me through civil remedies not criminal. Civil court is and should stay the decider of such claims of infringement. This bill is more about trampling on people's right to free speech and fair use than protecting IP holders. You want to stop oversea violators? Quit fucking trading with the assholes stealing our shit, ie China or anyone else doing it.

 

[waggy]

anyone who thinks its dead is nieve. it will be back and passed and you won't hear about it until its done.

 

[Genx87]

Didn't congress have a supermajority for the appropriations bill? Wasn't much Obama could do about it.

Sure there was, he could send it back to them and make them utilize their supermajority.

 

[Genx87]

It's easy to hate the theoretical bad guy.

What theoretical bad guy?

 

[dmcowen674]

anyone who thinks its dead is naive.

it will be back and passed and you won't hear about it until its done.

Absolutely, they will pass it in pieces.

 

[Ausm]

Look back at the OBL is dead thread, I gave Obama full credit for it. In this case i'll give him a little bitty credit, maybe 2 bits.

I'm talking about the Right Wing Media echo chamber.

 

[dank69]

What theoretical bad guy?

The one that might sign a bill that might be restructured and then might be passed by congress. That's a lot of mights that you just assume will turn into definites.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

SOPA proves to be immensely unpopular and Obama says something when he no doubt knows it's about to be shelved and he deserves credit? No, but he does deserve scorn for not sending that piece of crap legislation that rubber stamped Bushes policy regarding people losing their Constitutional rights if the government calls them terrorists.

 

[irishScott]

Sure there was, he could send it back to them and make them utilize their supermajority.

And likely make even more enemies and lose political clout. Hopefully with SOPA Obama has learned that sometimes the people can be just as powerful in politics as any backroom deal or political connection. We may flounder on abortion and healthcare, but mess with our daily internet lives and your political career goes straight to hell.

 

[Blackjack200]

I disagree. There is harm in stopping piracy when piracy is an affect brought on by the copyright conglomerates themselves. Obama is just another a part of the machine that will give us unending copyright.

I thought liberals were against monopolies? Why do they support eternal monopolies on thought?

I'm not sure if you noticed, but somewhere in the last hundred years we, as a nation, largely stopped manufacturing things and started designing airplanes, making drugs, writing movie scripts, and developing software. Copyright is the foundation of all of this.

 

[Blackjack200]

SOPA proves to be immensely unpopular and Obama says something when he no doubt knows it's about to be shelved and he deserves credit? No, but he does deserve scorn for not sending that piece of crap legislation that rubber stamped Bushes policy regarding people losing their Constitutional rights if the government calls them terrorists.

"immensely unpopular"? I bet most Americans (even if you only count registered voters) have never even heard of SOPA.

 

[BoberFett]

I'm not sure if you noticed, but somewhere in the last hundred years we, as a nation, largely stopped manufacturing things and started designing airplanes, making drugs, writing movie scripts, and developing software. Copyright is the foundation of all of this.

Yeah, because developing nations give a shit about your silly IP laws...

Besides, temporary monopoly to capitalize on your efforts is one thing. Locking up ideas such that nobody can ever have that idea again without paying you is rent seeking. At some point IP laws are counterproductive and will stifle ALL new ideas.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Yeah, because developing nations give a shit about your silly IP laws...

Besides, temporary monopoly to capitalize on your efforts is one thing. Locking up ideas such that nobody can ever have that idea again without paying you is rent seeking. At some point IP laws are counterproductive and will stifle ALL new ideas.

LMAO!!!!! What a fucking crock of shit. It apparent that you haven't developed any product or IP worth selling/protecting.

 

[randomrogue]

Today, the Wikipedia community announced its decision to black out the English-language Wikipedia for 24 hours, worldwide, beginning at 05:00 UTC on Wednesday, January 18 (you can read the statement from the Wikimedia Foundation here). The blackout is a protest against proposed legislation in the United States — the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the U.S. House of Representatives, and the PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the U.S. Senate — that, if passed, would seriously damage the free and open Internet, including Wikipedia.

http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/English_Wikipedia_anti-SOPA_blackout

 

[BoberFett]

LMAO!!!!! What a fucking crock of shit. It apparent that you haven't developed any product or IP worth selling/protecting.

On the contrary, you pathetic shitstain. I've personally written software in use by hundreds of government agencies and thousands of attorneys that cost a fairly significant chunk of change. Is it possible it was pirated? I'd be surprised if it wasn't. Did I cry about it like a little bitch? No. My customers are the people who pay for my work. Not the people who don't. I'm not worried about people who are not my customers. But then again I'm a person who focuses on being content with life. As long as I live well, I don't worry about wringing every possible penny out of society that I can.

 

[Blackjack200]

Yeah, because developing nations give a shit about your silly IP laws...

Besides, temporary monopoly to capitalize on your efforts is one thing. Locking up ideas such that nobody can ever have that idea again without paying you is rent seeking. At some point IP laws are counterproductive and will stifle ALL new ideas.

Developing nations are competing with our aerospace, pharmaceutical, moving picture, and software industries?