When describing the perils of SOPA/PIPA to less technical friends and family, I often described the lack of Safe Harbor provisions as one of the key problems. I liked this as an example because it appeals to conservatives as well, since it would be detrimental to corporations as well as people (if you can tell the difference between them). In order to do this, I typically had to explain what the Safe Harbor provisions of the DMCA are and in doing so, found myself praising legislation that, while not as bad as SOPA/PIPA, is still really repugnant to me. I still have an old t-shirt with the perl source code to DeCSS, and the title "I am a circumvention device".
All of which goes to say that, it seems like we're continuing to slip further and further down the slippery slope of eroding digital rights. Is there something more we can do -- something broader than simply responding to bad legislation and defending people when they're sued? How much does the EFF get involved in lobbying? Are we so small compared to the lobbying power of the MPAA/RIAA that we have no chance? And if so, what's our recourse? Can we be more proactive with social media, beyond just protesting something as blatently bad as SOPA/PIPA?
jptsetme8 karma
When describing the perils of SOPA/PIPA to less technical friends and family, I often described the lack of Safe Harbor provisions as one of the key problems. I liked this as an example because it appeals to conservatives as well, since it would be detrimental to corporations as well as people (if you can tell the difference between them). In order to do this, I typically had to explain what the Safe Harbor provisions of the DMCA are and in doing so, found myself praising legislation that, while not as bad as SOPA/PIPA, is still really repugnant to me. I still have an old t-shirt with the perl source code to DeCSS, and the title "I am a circumvention device".
All of which goes to say that, it seems like we're continuing to slip further and further down the slippery slope of eroding digital rights. Is there something more we can do -- something broader than simply responding to bad legislation and defending people when they're sued? How much does the EFF get involved in lobbying? Are we so small compared to the lobbying power of the MPAA/RIAA that we have no chance? And if so, what's our recourse? Can we be more proactive with social media, beyond just protesting something as blatently bad as SOPA/PIPA?
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