How will SOPA impact Linux, open-source, and FOSS?

[j814wong]

Please give a brief summary so people won't need to scour the web and read walls of text and articles to get the idea please. Should we fear for the well being of Linux and FOSS if SOPA is passed?

[Roasted]

Maybe I'm not completely understanding, but I don't see how SOPA interferes with free and open source software in any way shape or form. From what I understand, SOPA is targeting pirated software, whether they be applications or illegally distributed movies.

I just don't see how open source software falls into that category. It's licensed as free and open source for a reason.

[j814wong]

Maybe I'm not completely understanding, but I don't see how SOPA interferes with free and open source software in any way shape or form. From what I understand, SOPA is targeting pirated software, whether they be applications or illegally distributed movies.

I just don't see how open source software falls into that category. It's licensed as free and open source for a reason.
That's what I've been thinkign but various Linxu sites have started talking about it so it may have somehting to do with it.

[jjex22]

To be honest the major distro's put so much effort into not breaching copywrite -mp3, flash etc, that I don't see this being a problem.

Linux also doesn't really have many enemies - and microsoft have already made it pretty clear they're going after linux with uefi, and (on the mobile device side for now) royalties surrounding linux...

Still if they're putting that much effort into stopping linux, the dev's must be doing something right!

[Roasted]

That's what I've been thinkign but various Linxu sites have started talking about it so it may have somehting to do with it.

I can't help but to wonder if Linux sites are talking about it due to the fact SOPA clearly diminishes user freedom, and Linux is about freedom. I think that type of mentality goes hand-in-hand with Linux users... but not so much that we have to be worried about the future of Linux and any open source software.

[texaswriter]

Maybe I'm not completely understanding, but I don't see how SOPA interferes with free and open source software in any way shape or form. From what I understand, SOPA is targeting pirated software, whether they be applications or illegally distributed movies.

I just don't see how open source software falls into that category. It's licensed as free and open source for a reason.

Roasted> Sometimes it's not *what* you do, but how you do it that is the issue. The thing is, it's basically making an internet environment where the little guy has to bear the burden of proof for accusations of infringement.

SOPA goes about protecting IP the completely wrong way and will ABSOLUTELY abridge people's speech and freedoms, while allowing big companies to abuse this thing to its limits.

ALSO, somewhat important, it abridges on the rights of other countries as well. You might say it is beyond the jurisdiction (or should be) to shut down sites hosted on foreign soil (even if they have .com, etc website enders). TECHNICALLY, you could say, well now only sites with .us are US sites... .com is the "de facto" ending for a website.

[Sky Aisling]

Here are some in-depth articles about the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) poised to be voted on this year in the U.S.A. SOPA will effect users world wide.
The articles are presented by Electronic Frontier Foundation https://www.eff.org



The EFF series on SOPA:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/disastrous-ip-legislation-back-%E2%80%93-and-it%E2%80%99s-worse-ever

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/10/sopa-hollywood-finally-gets-chance-break-Internet

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2011/11/hollywood-new-war-on-software-freedom-and-internet-innovation

included a link to SOPA:

http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/pdf/112%20HR%203261.pdf