Open Web v. Anti-Piracy

by greenspacewriter 05/22/2012

In a recent article in the Washington Post, Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google, expressed concern about the law of the Web, an issue that has become more and more critical as the Internet and its capabilities have rapidly expanded.

The open web has changed the way that people live and learn dramatically in the past decade and it should come as no surprise that new regulations have begun to crop up in recent years. With the transformation of how information and products are distributed, the laws must follow suit and adapt accordingly. SOPA and PIPA were two such attempts - however poor they might be - to respond to the copyright issues that arise with the existence of the Internet, itself. These bills were, of course, met with a particular disdain from both users and content creators.

To say that there is a conflict of interest in this matter is an understatement. While it is, no doubt, important that artists and developers be compensated and credited for their original work, the governments ability and willingness to block sites calls into question the freedom of United States citizens. Cyber censorship is nothing new in certain parts of the world, but the United States is very much a stranger to such policies.

So much about an open web can benefit its users: open education resources are mainly online, social media sites like LinkedIn allow people to network more frequently and expansively, and accessibility to any sort of information is virtually limitless. The Internet is unmatched in its store of content and it is hard to imagine our society without it anymore.

Still, should we really turn a blind eye to piracy and copyright infringement as long as it makes for greater accessibility? This is no delicate matter and the challenge to formulate a fair resolution is a great one. Two bills have already failed to please even half of the nation. Perhaps it is time that the government turns to collaboration with web users, developers, and law makers to create a solution that will maintain the freedom of the Intern and give content creators the remuneration that they deserve.

Read the Washington Post article here: http://wapo.st/JR156z

Comments