The 19 Senators Who Voted To Censor The Internet

Tech Dirt:

This is hardly a surprise but, this morning (as previously announced), the lame duck Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to move forward with censoring the internet via the COICA bill -- despite a bunch of law professors explaining to them how this law is a clear violation of the First Amendment.

Read the whole story: Tech Dirt

Comments

[thirdcloud]

04:19 AM on 12/12/2010

This is precisely the government that Thomas Jefferson had in mind when he said, in defense of unfettered freedom of the press, "[W]ere it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter."

The pretend patriots who use the national security argument to gut what remains of our most important security asset -- our constitutional guarantees of a truly free press -- are just what President George Washington feared when in his farewell address he warned "against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the Impostures of pretended patriotism. ..."

Taken and quoted from Robert Scheer Posted: December 8, 2010 01:16 AM

[thirdcloud]

04:24 AM on 12/12/2010

The pretend patriots who use the national security argument to gut what remains of our most important security asset -- our constitutional guarantees of a truly free press -- are just what President George Washington feared when in his farewell address he warned "against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the Impostures of pretended patriotism. ..."

[Henry Massingale]

06:00 PM on 11/28/2010

Part 2;
The 19 Senators Who Voted To Censor The Internet vs. the International Boycott Of The Arabic Drug Empire Phase 4.
The line has been drawn in Tennessee, made a line at the top of Tennessee then from East to West, this area below all the way to Florida is the area covered by Fasc Concepts.
Now these 19 Senators who wish to silence a People in what is now being called The New World Order Movement. You 19 Senators and all your muscle, you have entered into the Matrix of the net where I am, and if you wish to leave this battle filed, and maintain your life within Government Office, we will allow you to leave, but first you must go on live TV and withdraw your insult to the American People and apologize wait Im not fished, then put your heads between your legs and kiss your on ass.

Join us, unite with us in the International Boycott Of The Arabic Drug Empire ....
Henry Massingale / FASC Concepts in and for Pay It Forward covers the web post on google Drop by and see why we built a anti crime / war form in a Health Care Reform Concept. To strategically Rebuild America www.fascmovement.mysite.com on google look for page 1 american dream official site

[Henry Massingale]

05:58 PM on 11/28/2010

Part 1;
The 19 Senators Who Voted To Censor The Internet vs. the International Boycott Of The Arabic Drug Empire Phase 4.
First you must understand, what phase 4 of this Boycott is about, it is a 10x10 posting into issues we face as a People. 2nd, that the People Of The United States have outgrown Government Officials and they seek a change, it was noted and shown by the movement of the Tea Party, and the voice of the people against this Health Care Bill.
One issue not seen to you is the International Boycott Of The Arabic Drug Empire Phase 4, in a goal to interface with the voices of the people to bring forward a change in Government to vote out every last man and woman in Office because of their failures in a lot of different issues.
The Freedom Of Speech is a God Given Right and it is the voice of the People that guides the destiny of this Country and not Government Officials. They are bound by Constitutional Laws, and must obey that of which they are voted into Office to serve.
So I am going to go ahead and pick a fight. I have had it and still people round around and through their hands into the air and give up. When you do this you miss out on your God Given Right To Freedom.

[american-dolt]

03:27 PM on 11/23/2010

Lots of Jewish Senators.

[deezus]

02:56 PM on 11/23/2010

This makes me even more glad I voted to retire Feingold. Kohl is next.

[agxphoto]

08:21 AM on 11/23/2010

The paragraph above, and the story at Tech Dirt, are inaccurate and skewed.

A copy of the legislation, Senate S. 3804, can be seen on Senator Patrick Leahy's website here:
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/press_releases/release/?id=45B5A544-0F49-46D8-9782-AB7A3FE43A1F

Supporting documents also turn up on the US Senate's website by searching COICA.

The legislation's protections of copyright require that it be proved that websites are infringing; and, it strikes only at their domain name, not a property seizure in and of itself.

It also allows the Attorney General to seek injunctions and restraining orders to prevent this form of theft.

In copyright disputes it's often a matter of "make it or take it." Face facts: if you didn't make it, and you took it from someone else without their permission, it's not yours.

This is about stopping theft of artist's works, not censorship. Censorship is a suppressed transmission based on content, not on theft of ownership. COICA is about preventing the transmission of stolen intellectual property. This is about removing stolen goods from the marketplace.

It's the same type of law that Tech Dirt would use if you broke into their computers and stole their code for paying their employees.

[AKaurora]

06:00 PM on 11/22/2010

Personally, I think that it's not a free speech issue, per se. Copyright infringement has been a serious issue online and I don't think that people have a right to download unlimited amounts of pirated material, whether it be books, music, or movies. But, by all means, go into Chicken Little mode and run around in circles clucking to the heavens, "My rights have been infringed upon." I don't think any legislation should be passed without scrutiny. And, there will always be those in opposition. This is a basic function of the web -- allowing these various points of view.

Do I think this legislation will work? Actually do the job it's supposed to do? No. We're in a deregulating and defunding time of life. It's more toothless legislation.

[faststeak]

01:06 PM on 11/22/2010

Go back and look at Techdirt's follow up article. I believe it clearly states why this isn't just an anti-piracy bill.

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20101121/23584311958/why-voting-coica-is-vote-censorship.shtml

[bardgal]

01:03 PM on 11/22/2010

I just emailed Feinstein's office. Unbelievable.

[PedroLeon]

12:30 PM on 11/22/2010

It's disappointing to see Sen. Franken on the list since he's been so outspoken about net neutrality. I'm not surprised about the rest.

[bardgal]

01:04 PM on 11/22/2010

HEY! BEST AVATAR EVER!

[PedroLeon]

01:43 PM on 11/22/2010

LA Galaxy for life!

[ianprib]

12:01 PM on 11/22/2010

Well, too bad HP continues to be one of the most self-censored sites on the internet.

[LeftisBetter]

11:40 AM on 11/22/2010

Wow, lots of armchair political novices here... They voted to bring it to a vote to the WHOLE senate. This is strictly procedural

[TheRevV]

12:39 PM on 11/22/2010

Thank you for pointing this out logically. People need to read the full article, then read about COICA, then recognize Senate procedure.

[bardgal]

01:06 PM on 11/22/2010

thank you - I still emailed Diane - a warning that hissy-launch is imminent.....

[dashingdwl]

11:22 AM on 11/22/2010

"On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved a bill that would give the Attorney General the right to shut down websites with a court order if copyright infringement is deemed “central to the activity” of the site — regardless if the website has actually committed a crime. "

Yes...read that again: shut them down "regardless if the website has actually committed a crime. "

Is there anything that these Senator clowns actually comprehend? Stupidity defined.

[William J Unverferth Sr]

07:41 AM on 11/22/2010

Ummm criminal activity is NOT protected speech.

[Itsallderivative]

04:20 PM on 11/22/2010

Prior restraint is unconstitutional.

[Bonez1]

06:34 AM on 11/22/2010

Is this a JOKE? it isn't funny!
some posters state the article is misleading...
Pray?...Tell!