How SOPA May Change the Internet As We Know It

The Internet has afforded us many freedoms in multiple senses. The freedom to view the content of our choosing at a moment's notice. The ability to buy and sell products online. The ability to do research and gather information more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

These freedoms and abilities may be up in the air, however, with forthcoming anti-piracy legislation known as SOPA (the Stop Online Piracy Act) on the table.

What exactly is SOPA? At its heart, the idea behind SOPA is to live up to its namesake; to stop online piracy. The traditional music and record industries have a well-documented history of falling profits in the midst of piracy and file-sharing sites over the last decade. While originally it was the RIAA (Record Industry Association of America) leading the charge against piracy, it's now the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) who've taken up the reigns. Whereas former battles against piracy targeted individuals who “stole” content, but now the battle is being waged against the websites and their owners.

Sounds innocent enough, right? If piracy is stealing and stealing is wrong, then what's there to oppose?

There are two sides to the story.

One side, including a majority of the polled public who are aware of SOPA as well as a vast number of influential Internet companies are opposed to the legislation. Not necessarily for what it's attempting to do, but rather how they're attempting to go about doing it. As mentioned earlier, SOPA is looking to take action against “rogue sites” that are “illegally” distributing copyrighted material in the name of stopping online piracy. The problem comes when what's considered a “rogue site” and what falls under the umbrella of “copyrighted material.” The definition if incredibly broad.

SOPA also seems to leading the country down the slippery slope of regulating the Internet and the content that Americans are able to view and digest. We've many times criticized the governments of China and Iran for censoring its public via Internet access, yet the reach of SOPA under the veil of its “anti-piracy” seems to be doing exactly this. Companies opposing SOPA include Google, Yahoo!, Mozilla, among many, many other prominent organizations. Such companies do not want to see the Internet go down such a regulated path, for fear of their own companies as well as the well-being and commerce of not only the American public, but the entire world.

The other and seemingly quieter side that supports SOPA claims that the legislation will protect millions of jobs under threat due to piracy. One can't help but assume, however, that vast regulation and restrictions on what users could do and buy online would have a much vaster impact on the American and global economy than the losses of the MPAA or any other organization victimized by piracy. It should also be noted that there's a vast amount of lobbying going on behind this legislation, which should come as no surprise.

As goes with any legislation, we'll have to play the waiting game in order to see what happens. It remains, though, that the Internet could change as know it in the face of SOPA, both for the American public and its small businesses.