No one knows what the new bill to replace SOPA(Stop Online Piracy Act) will look like, but you can bet on one thing: the U.S. government is serious about stemming the huge job losses and money that online piracy has been siphoning at a growing rate.
The long arm of law enforcement is reaching out around the globe. This past week the U.S. indicted Kim Datacom, aka Kim Schmitz, and three others associated with Megaupload, a file-sharing company based in New Zealand. The CEO has been denied bail while the extradition process works its way through the courts. Other file-sharing sites have already heeded the warning.
While big Internet Techs have made the valid case that the original SOPA would do more harm than good to the internet, they will now have to contribute viable alternative strategies to stop the ongoing theft of intellectual property, something they fight tooth and nail to protect in courts throughout the U.S.and elsewhere.
In this weak global economy which may even grow weaker before it grows stronger, stemming job losses is a huge priority. This is a Presidential election year and industries with a long history of promoting and selling American culture will be pressing for a solution sooner rather than later.
If you think I am fixated on this issue, you could be right. Any independent artist, designer, musician or writer who creates original content should also be very concerned. If the big guys can’t protect their intellectual property from theft or piracy, what chance does the little guy have?
TC