I like how Hillary signs her name with just her first name, shes like the "Bono" of politics.

It is just a friendly gesture, very usual in politician-to-politician letters actually.

Under SOPA etc, there won't be any platforms like YouTube or Facebook for people to express their free speech, including those revolutionary patriots in faraway places.  One complaint about infringement will be enough to cut them off from the net, and with millions of people generating content, it is inevitable that there will be an infringement of copyright.   It'll be back to the days of "Freedom of the press is for those who own one."

But, as I have written many times, to the copyright industries, the Internet is acceptable collateral damage.

Remember that Monster Cable lists Ebay and Craigslist as rogue sites.   Should Monster's accusation be enough to destroy those sites?  Because that is the core of SOPA, that an accusation is enough to censor those sites.

Sorry, but that is just complete and utter nonsense, stop it, seriously, just STOP IT. Fear mongering is just a silly and ugly attempt to divert the conversation.

This legislation is not going to "break the internet" any more than flag burning is going to "break the country".

Give it a break already, just Stop It. Free Speech does NOT entitled a free for all of lawlessness and unchecked theft. PERIOD.

Take a look at Nigeria, Somilia and Ethiopia to see how well lawlessness works as a societal baseline. Good Greif.

Agreed.

@Visitor: Under SOPA, a whole web domain can be taken down based on one accusation, which does NOT have to be substantiated by evidence, that one single page hosted by it in some way promotes copyright infringement. It is THIS that would create lawlessness, by creating a state-sponsored process for cyber-vigilantes. SOPA abolishes the rule of law on the Internet, making it MORE like "Nigeria, Somilia and Ethiopia", because it allows anyone with a grudge against a website to invent an allegation of IP theft and take the site down. A real-world analogue might be banning someone from a shopping mall because one owner makes an unsustantiated alegation of theft, with no trial.

Rep Berman has form here. About 10 years ago he co-sponored a Bill that would have permitted malicious hacking attacks on computer networks alleged (again, the allegations would not have had to be true) to have been involved in IP piracy. It is the supporters SOPA who support lawlessness, because they seek to abolish the rule of law in copyright enforcement, and create a vigilante society.

You clearly have not read the bill, but instead are only reading the demagoguery about the bill. NOTHING in the bill would, in any way, result in a domain being "taken down." You are completely and demonstrably wrong.

Just to give you an example of how far your views are from reality: The IMC Network has never been in any danger because of copyright infringement issues. Only because of operations by the three letter agencies. And it still operates globally. Why do you need Facebook, when there are so many collectives online? Is it the hype of "Like"?

That's utter nonsense. The bill has more than adequate checks and balances and safeguards against abuse. Have you actually READ the bill, or only the propaganda against it published by the piracy advocates and their supporters in the tech industry?

The idea that Youtube and Facebook would be threatened in any way is a baldfaced lie.

The truth is that the tech industries want to use copyrighted content as a loss leader to fuel sales of services and hardware but they are not willing to pay fair compensation to the people who actually create it. These are multi-billion dollar companies with virtually unlimited resources attacking much smaller companies and individuals - the equivalent of a demolition derby between and Abrahms tank and a VW beetle.

«Under SOPA etc, there won't be any platforms like YouTube or Facebook for people to express their free speech»

What you are describing is impossible.

There are numerous high quality hosting companies around the world. Pick one that suits your budget and express your free speech 24/7/365. Most of them will also happily help you with setting up a blog, if you are not very skilled. Yes, most of them will install WordPress for you for free, even if it is not in their standard package, if you ask for it in a kind way.

So, why do you need Google and Facebook to express your political opinion, to speak your mind? Is it because it is "free"? If you fell for this, let me tell you - it's not free, you are paying with your personal data.

These Washington types are totally disconnected from reality.  I love it: "The Internet"... with a capital "I"... what IS this scary monster, look at its fangs.

Look at the letter, it looks like Digital Music News has to scan it into digital form.  Did the bottle float into your port town one evening while the towns people gathered round the lantern to read the words of Hillary?

Allow me to enlighten you:

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Internet

You do realize politicians have teams of advisors for each subject, right? Who are *experts* each in their domain?

No...?

Musicians and industry pundits have apparently been out of the cultural loop since the mid twentieth century.  And not so much learned in the way of Washington jive.

You perhaps believe it was Bill who conceived Don't Ask Don't Tell (the parallels clear enough?)

The middling policy formula goes like this: split the hairs then add Brylcream.  Sort of like divide as a means to conquer, but a bit more messy and shorter-lived.  Ultimately, not a resolution at all, but a prescription for pain among all those on both sides without the wherewithal to duke it out.  A class solution, if you get all that.

Speaking of "don't ask - don't tell' tactics, what do you think about the silence surrounding the business agreement between Google and NSA? I don't see any tech blog talking about it these days. Is it over? Or is it so boring that they don't find it news-worthy?

Sorry, but that is just complete and utter nonsense, stop it, seriously, just STOP IT. Fear mongering is just a silly and ugly attempt to divert the conversation.

This legislation is not going to "break the internet" any more than flag burning is going to "break the country".

Give it a break already, just Stop It. Free sex videos does NOT entitled a free for all of lawlessness and unchecked theft. PERIOD.

here's another great article on the subject 

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/102711eliminate

Hi  Mrs. Clinton,

I am the exclusive producer of DOTMIG'S sound recordings & music video's. My x associates set me up & stole all of rights, to my music & video's. With criminal intent to comit coputer crimes,

Copyright infrigrment law & they are distriburting my inelluctal property around the world & collecting large sums of royalites, 24/7. I have all their information on their wareabouts.

How can i receive help on this matter. They have been making money sinces 2006 till now.  I can be contacted by mail.

Steven A. Mignoli

154 Taft Drive

Brick NJ 08724

.MIG PROUCTIONS,LLC

www.dotmig.com

Kind regards,