PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet
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0:01 - 0:05The Internet is one of the United States' most robust and growing industries.
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0:05 - 0:08It enables free and open communication among billions,
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0:08 - 0:11and it's been the backbone for protests around the world.
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0:11 - 0:14But a new bill proposes to give the power to censor the Internet
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0:14 - 0:17to the entertainment industry.
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0:17 - 0:20It's called PROTECT IP, and here's how it works.
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0:21 - 0:25Private corporations want the ability to shut down unauthorized sites
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0:25 - 0:29where people download movies, TV shows, and music.
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0:29 - 0:32Since most of these sites are outside US jurisdiction,
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0:32 - 0:36PROTECT IP uses a couple different tactics within American borders.
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0:36 - 0:38Firstly, it gives the government the power to make
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0:38 - 0:43US Internet providers block access to infringing domain names.
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0:43 - 0:45They can also sue US-based search engines,
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0:45 - 0:47directories, or even blogs and forums,
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0:47 - 0:50to have links to these sites removed.
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0:50 - 0:52Secondly, PROTECT IP gives corporations and
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0:52 - 0:54the government the ability to cut off funds to
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0:54 - 0:58infringing websites by having US-based advertisers
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0:58 - 1:01and payment services cancel those accounts.
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1:01 - 1:04In a nutshell, that's what PROTECT IP will try to do.
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1:04 - 1:08But in all likelihood, it'll do something else altogether.
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1:09 - 1:12For starters, it won't stop downloaders.
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1:12 - 1:14You'll still be able to access a blocked site
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1:14 - 1:18just by entering its IP address instead of its name.
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1:18 - 1:21What PROTECT IP will do is cripple new startups
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1:21 - 1:24because it also lets companies sue any site
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1:24 - 1:27they feel isn't doing their filtering well enough.
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1:27 - 1:30These lawsuits could easily bankrupt new search engines
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1:30 - 1:32and social media sites.
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1:32 - 1:34And PROTECT IP's wording is ambiguous enough
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1:34 - 1:37that important social media sites could become
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1:37 - 1:38targets.
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1:38 - 1:40Lots of trailblazing websites could look like
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1:40 - 1:42piracy heavens to the wrong judge.
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1:42 - 1:45Tumblr, SoundCloud, an early YouTube,
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1:45 - 1:47wherever people express themselves, make art,
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1:47 - 1:50broadcast news or organize protests,
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1:50 - 1:52there's plenty of TV footage, movie clips,
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1:52 - 1:55and copyrighted music mixed in.
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1:55 - 1:57And even if you trust the US government
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1:57 - 1:59not to abuse their new power to censor the Net,
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1:59 - 2:01what about the countries that follow in our path
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2:01 - 2:03and pass similar laws?
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2:03 - 2:04People around the world will have very different
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2:04 - 2:07Internets, and unscrupulous governments will have
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2:07 - 2:09powerful tools to hinder free expression.
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2:09 - 2:13But perhaps most dangerously, PROTECT IP will
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2:13 - 2:15meddle with the inner workings of the Net.
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2:15 - 2:18Experts believe by fiddling with the web's registry
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2:18 - 2:21of domain names, the result will be less security,
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2:21 - 2:22and less stability.
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2:22 - 2:26In short, PROTECT IP won't stop piracy, but it will
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2:26 - 2:29introduce vast potential for censorship and abuse,
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2:29 - 2:32while making the web less safe and less reliable.
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2:32 - 2:34This is the Internet we're talking about!
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2:34 - 2:36It's a vital and vibrant medium.
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2:36 - 2:38And our government is tampering with its
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2:38 - 2:41basic structure, so people will maybe buy more
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2:41 - 2:43Hollywood movies.
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2:43 - 2:46But Hollywood movies don't get grassroots candidates
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2:46 - 2:49elected. They don't overthrow corrupt regimes,
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2:49 - 2:51and the entire entertainment industry doesn't even
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2:51 - 2:54contribute that much to our economy.
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2:54 - 2:57The Internet does all these, and more.
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2:57 - 3:00Corporations already have tools to fight piracy.
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3:00 - 3:03They have the power to take down specific content,
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3:03 - 3:06to sue peer-to-peer software companies out of existence,
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3:06 - 3:09and to sue journalists just for talking about how to
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3:09 - 3:10copy a DVD.
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3:10 - 3:13They have a history of stretching and abusing
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3:13 - 3:15their powers. They tried to take a baby video
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3:15 - 3:17off YouTube, just for the music playing in
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3:17 - 3:20the background. They've used legal penalties
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3:20 - 3:22written for large-scale commercial piracy
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3:22 - 3:25to go after families and children.
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3:25 - 3:27They even sued to ban the VCR and the first
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3:27 - 3:29MP3 players.
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3:29 - 3:33So the question is, "How far will they take all this?"
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3:33 - 3:36The answer at this point, is obvious.
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3:36 - 3:39As far as we'll let them.
- Title:
- PROTECT IP Act Breaks The Internet
- Description:
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Tell Congress not to censor the internet NOW! - http://www.fightforthefuture.org/pipa
PROTECT-IP is a bill that has been introduced in the Senate and the House and is moving quickly through Congress. It gives the government and corporations the ability to censor the net, in the name of protecting "creativity". The law would let the government or corporations censor entire sites-- they just have to convince a judge that the site is "dedicated to copyright infringement." The government has already wrongly shut down sites without any recourse to the site owner. Under this bill, sharing a video with anything copyrighted in it, or what sites like Youtube and Twitter do, would be considered illegal behavior according to this bill. According to the CBO, this bill would cost us $47 million tax dollars a year — that's for a fix that won't work, disrupts the internet, stifles innovation, shuts out diverse voices, and censors the internet. This bill is bad for creativity and does not protect your rights.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- SOPA
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