It's War in the Cyber-World

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The new internet legislation acts, SOPA and PIPA, are creating serious disputes between internet corporations and national authorities. Those acts seem to be hindering global freedom of expression, which goes against the bases of the concept of the cyber-world. The internet has proved to be one of the most revolutionary concept and tool of the century taking communication and sharing of information to a whole new level. From education to arts and politics, people have access to knowledge with little or no limits. The dependance on the internet has become of great importance in today's world, and so imposing regulations and limits to it creates a controversial polemic worldwide. Since the Digital Copyright Millennium Act, internet became more restricted. However, this wasn't so much of a problem because, firstly the internet usage wasn't as common as nowadays, and secondly because the new internet regulations are far more restrictive if not totally limiting to the freedom of the internet. SOPA and PIPA are copyright legislations that fight against online piracy by blocking access to websites judged as insecure, and seek court orders against websites "enabling or facilitating piracy" (BBC, 2012:1). It is war between individuals fighting for global freedom and authorities striving for global security against crimes of copyright infringement. Nonetheless, it is far more than an argument about freedom of expression, "it is the battle of old versus new" as says activist Adam Green(Condon, 2012:1).

SOPA is claimed to be "break[ing] the internet" by a video posted on WordPress's homepage, asking users to add their names to a petition in order to have the bill canceled by the U.S. Congress (Kelion, 2012:1). Many other websites have ...

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Derek Broes. (2012). Why Should You Fear SOPA and PIPA?. Available: http://www.forbes.com/sites/derekbroes/2012/01/20/why-should-you-fear-sopa-and-pipa/. Last accessed 27th Feb 2012.

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Dominic Rushe. (2012). Sopa plans set to be shelved as Obama comes out against piracy legislation. Available: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/jan/16/sopa-shelved-obama-piracy-legislation. Last accessed 27th Feb 2012.

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