capnbuckle: (Default)
capnbuckle ([personal profile] capnbuckle) wrote2012-01-18 11:58 am

SOPA and PIPA are also a further assault on Fair Use rights.

SOPA and PIPA essentially create a "guilty until proven innocent" reality, by which you can only prove your innocence if you can out-spend your accusers. And it's not just "piracy" that is under attack...it's also any mention of "Anti-DRM" tools. While that may seem OK, that also is an assault on fair use, which include:

- commenting on or criticizing copyrighted works without license,
- "time-shifting" streamed or broadcast performances for more convenient viewing
- reproducing copyrighted works for personal use (media/format conversion for other devices, etc.)
- archival copies for personal use.
- "quoting a line from The Simpsons in an email to a coworker (reproduction)" (from EFF.org page, linked, below.)

(I would have linked Wikipedia...but...you know...)

http://w2.eff.org/IP/DRM/fair_use_and_drm.html