SOPA & PIPA

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skezza
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SOPA & PIPA

Post by skezza »

On 20/12/2012 from 00:00 GMT/UTC, UltimateRhoads shut its doors for 12 hours in protest of SOPA and PIPA.

Having seen no threads on UltimateRhoads or RandyRhoads.tk discussing the impact of these two bills, Trigger and I came to the conclusion that shutting off the site for a predetermined period of time would raise awareness. Originally, we decided 24 hours, however after careful consideration and taking note of the huge influence sites like Wikipedia had just 48 hours ago, I felt 12 was more appropriate. Enough to remind you that these two bills are there and you must not ignore them. The furor might have died down, but they haven't gone away. It's more important than ever that you keep track of their progress.

It is vital these bills do not pass. Their primary aim is to deal with foreign websites infringing on trademarks but they will also pave way for American websites to fall under the same totalitarianism. Currently, to shut a US based website down (according to the DMCA), there has to be reasonable evidence to suggest that some infringement has taken place. One that intentionally violates the intellectual property of another thus financially harming a product or service. Despite the foreign-site targeting, SOPA and PIPA could eventually turn into a huge nightmare for many US-based sites, especially those with an audience extending beyond the borders. Since the definition for what’s considered a “foreign site” is vague within SOPA/PIPA, there is potential for some copyright holders to mount convincing legal attacks against some US websites that operate internationally or allow foreign users to contribute. That ambiguity alone has many large Internet companies concerned.

Part of the problem is outside the US, people do not realize how serious an impact these bills could have. In the UK, despite media reports stating giant websites such as Wikipedia were shut for the day, rarely was there an explanation why. In fact, I saw a short article that actually talked about the inconvenience rather than the actual reason why. Perhaps people in the UK don't realize how damaging SOPA and PIPA will be if they pass.

The climate will shift. The weight will be on the side of the big companies. They will always have the upper hand if this passes. A streamlined method of effectively extinguishing websites/companies that they feel are competitors. It removes your freedom. It gives the government and large corporations the ability to suffocate websites (American, British, Iraqi doesn't matter) of Internet based resources to the point they would close. It doesn't attack the website at the source, it attacks and crumbles the infrastructure surrounding the website, starting with most obvious... No US citizen would be allowed to access it. It wouldn't just end there. The result would be an increasingly balkanized internet policed by insanity rather than fact. Colonies of websites acting as mirrors to the 'global' Internet would appear bringing a whole new type of security threat and dangerously fragmenting what is already a fairly unstable network. As UK based Internet users, there isn't much we can do but raise awareness, but US based Internet users must write to their representatives, join protests and demand this bill is thrown right out the window.

Why?
Although UR and TK are non profit websites, images, videos (hotlinked or not) and audio can be considered trademark infringement.

Currently, UR would be dealt with under the DMCA. However:-
From 2006 to 2007, UltimateRhoads was hosted in Germany.
From 2007 to 2008, UltimateRhoads was hosted in U.K.
From 2008 to present, UltimateRhoads has been hosted in the U.S.A.

If these bills passed 20 years ago, from 2006 to 2008, UltimateRhoads could (and most probably would) have been blocked in the USA.

Reasonable assumptions if these bills pass:
UR will have to remove all audio including bootlegs, sound clips, fade outs (with the volume modified) and covers by guitarists who actively use this board.
UR will have to verify every photograph uploaded and get express consent from the author. If we can't, the photo will have to be removed.
UR will have to verify every video uploaded and get express consent from the author. If we can't, the video will have to be removed.
UR will have to change it's logo to not include any trademarked content. I would guess that includes the Jackson guitar, the Sandoval guitar, the Polka dot colour scheme and the RR logo.
UR will have to verify that written content hasn't been taken from elsewhere. The Day the Music Died section would have to be closed until we could verify all imagery, factual content and details.
UR will have to remove all hotlinks to websites that violate any of those mentioned above.

It is vital that you do your part to make sure this bill doesn't pass. Sign petitions, contact your representatives, make sure your voice is heard... before it's too late.
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GUITARIDOL5682
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by GUITARIDOL5682 »

Joe I tried to log in last night and thought some mad hedjit had blocked the site. I gather you went out in protest for PIPA & POPPY or some mad organisation. It would be a total wipeout to this site if this shitty thing goes ahead. In all honesty how can someone like me do anything to try to stop this...Answers on a postcard please..Good to see you on here for a change don't be a stranger..
oth
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by oth »

its amazing how many govt bills and actions have taken place in just the last year.Sopa is just another and the least troublesome action if you consider the others:NDAA,patriot act extension,drones spying on us citizens in usa for local police forces,occupy harassment,j assange.The times, they are a fkn scary.Please note that sopa was sponsored by 2 democrats!There is no diff between the 2 parties.We are in a corporatocracy.
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by Paul Wolfe »

Political reasoning aside, the root of the problem in my opinion is this: One that intentionally violates the intellectual property of another thus financially harming a product or service.

Pirating by the citizenry of the US is based on the outrageous inflation of prices for products. Make a product affordable and the majority will buy it instead of pirating it. Whether it be software, movies or music, raping people for profit is wrong.

Just look at the photogs selling Randy Rhoads photos, the prices are ridiculous, so people find ways to remove watermarks and pirate the pics. The photographers need to make a living you say? Well, take more pictures and sell them for a reasonable price, or get a real job. People complain too much about not being able to make enough money doing what they choose to do. Well, then choose something new instead of demanding excessive amounts of money for products.

As for the governments getting into this, there does need to be some control over the 'net, but this is not the way.
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by Paul Wolfe »

Barack Obama wrote:“Any effort to combat online piracy must guard against the risk of online censorship of lawful activity and must not inhibit innovation by our dynamic businesses large and small.”
I know most of you hate him, but he said this prior to the uprising this week.
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by oth »

Paul Wolfe wrote:Political reasoning aside, the root of the problem in my opinion is this: One that intentionally violates the intellectual property of another thus financially harming a product or service.

Pirating by the citizenry of the US is based on the outrageous inflation of prices for products. Make a product affordable and the majority will buy it instead of pirating it. Whether it be software, movies or music, raping people for profit is wrong.

Just look at the photogs selling Randy Rhoads photos, the prices are ridiculous, so people find ways to remove watermarks and pirate the pics. The photographers need to make a living you say? Well, take more pictures and sell them for a reasonable price, or get a real job. People complain too much about not being able to make enough money doing what they choose to do. Well, then choose something new instead of demanding excessive amounts of money for products.

As for the governments getting into this, there does need to be some control over the 'net, but this is not the way.
I see the piracy as a minor thing with sopa.What i have come to understand,correct me if im wrong, is that a company can accuse any website of defamation and have it blocked.So if somebody on this site says GM makes crap cars,GM can have this place shut down.Now how much cash and lawyers does this website have to fight to get unblocked?The corporations will run the internet just like they run our elections,food supply,wars etc.This corporatocracy has accelerated immensely in just a few years.
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

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oth
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by oth »


this is another thing,how the fk can u get an intl arrest warrant for people in a sovereign country for some dubious accusation/crimes?In the usa we havent had 1 banker arrested for the sub-prime,phony foreclosure scandal that ripped us off of trillions and forced many into homelessness and suicide.Its astounding how this justice system prioritizes and doesnt work.
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by Axeman1956 »

I signed multiple petitions... Screw this SOPA bullshit (Forgive my language). The internet will go down under of this is passed. No more Google, Wikipedia, Youtube, Facebook and Ultimate Rhoads. What will this site be without all the things that are here? I mean, we'd still be able to talk about RR related stuff but no vids, pics, links or boots. It's that Lamar Smith from Texas who brought up the idea.
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oth
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by oth »

You should have heard Chris Dodd defending and supporting this bill.This guy was a Senator and now is paid millions to be the lobbyist/head of the MPAA.As senator he was head of the finance committee and he did nothing to arrest the bankers.You then find out that he had been recipient of huge no interest loan(bribe) from the CEO of the worst sub-prime criminal banks(countrywide credit).If you google that relationship itll make you puke.Thats whats destroying this country:political corruption.

http://www.google.com/search?q=chris+do ... =firefox-a

http://www.google.com/search?q=chris+do ... 64&bih=645
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by Axeman1956 »

I just blacked out my Randy Rhoads tribute channel for 58 hours. Be back on Monday at 9pm EST.... Gotta protest against PIPA and SOPA! SOPA= No more Randy!
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by skezza »

I think the protests are a great way to raise awareness. At the end of the day, if you shut off your site/channel etc temporarily, the people regularly using it realize what will happen if they don't sign the petitions and these ludicrous bills pass. So much freedom on the internet will be lost.
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by Axeman1956 »

skezza wrote:I think the protests are a great way to raise awareness. At the end of the day, if you shut off your site/channel etc temporarily, the people regularly using it realize what will happen if they don't sign the petitions and these ludicrous bills pass. So much freedom on the internet will be lost.
Exactly. I made all my video's private. No one but I can view them. My backround is a SOPA protest picture and I explained in the description about the deal with me and SOPA. Hopefully people will realize this bill is very bad
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by RhoadsRockPhotographer »

Paul Wolfe wrote:Just look at the photogs selling Randy Rhoads photos,the prices are ridiculous, so people find ways to remove watermarks and pirate the pics. The photographers need to make a living you say? Well, take more pictures and sell them for a reasonable price, or get a real job.
Don't paint with such a broad brush.

We're not ALL Neil Zlozower and Ross Halfin.
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Re: SOPA & PIPA

Post by Paul Wolfe »

RhoadsRockPhotographer wrote:
Paul Wolfe wrote:Just look at the photogs selling Randy Rhoads photos,the prices are ridiculous, so people find ways to remove watermarks and pirate the pics. The photographers need to make a living you say? Well, take more pictures and sell them for a reasonable price, or get a real job.
Don't paint with such a broad brush.

We're not ALL Neil Zlozower and Ross Halfin.
No sir, you are not ALL outrageous, but the point remains, the outrageousness of the pricing has led to the piracy.
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