SO What Happened to SOPA/PIPA?

Post date: Jan 31, 2012 1:13:38 AM

In the midst of elections when unpopular bills are under scrutinized it was bound that public uproar would stall SOPA & PIPA. In effect, as of January 20, the US Congressional leaders in the Senate and House indefinitely postponed further action.

So what's next?

Lets get down to basics: the bills are designed to protect US ideas and inventions from bootleggers, pirates, etc... so inherently who's responsibility is it to protect a "brand's" assets: music, software, clothing, movies etc...?

I believe in everyones right to protect their intelectual property, copyright etc...but at the cost of internet freedom, guess it's a high price to pay for, at least thats what public opinion thought.

Specially in an economy thriving for innovation and exchange of ideas over the internet, anything designed to limit communication is bound to be rejected. Already ACTA has been discussed as an alternative but will these measures actually halt the business of piracy?

My thesis is that innovation and invention are the answer instead of lobbying and legislation.

Hackers will hack, pirates will continue pirating and companies concerned about their intelectual property will need to create news ways to defend their brands from copyright violations.

For one an open contest by each industry inviting entrepreneurs to devise news forms or devices. If this is really a war against piracy it should be fought like one. Look at the inovation in defense and the investment + job creation in these areas. These are issues that can be tackled with creativity, I mean clearly the big bucks are out there.

If the US was able to eliminate the need of a pilot and an expensive airplane to fly over it's enemies by creating drones, with the right stimulus in place, I'm sure that we will be able to find the "smart minds" to devise a technology that can stop a fellow in a storefront in some far away land, from burning a bootleg DVD.

Internet unharmed.