SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) allows copyright holders to force ISPs to block websites deemed to promote piracy. This could result in entire sites like Facebook and YouTube being blocked if any user-uploaded content violates copyright. SOPA is opposed by tech companies like Google and Wikipedia because it gives too much power to censor the internet and could negatively impact free expression. The document encourages readers to contact their representatives to voice opposition to SOPA and help protect internet freedom.

1. SOPA and You: What it means
for the Internet
James T Dabbagian
Photo by Nick Humphries, CC Some Rights
www.jtdabbagian.com Reserved

2. What is SOPA?

3. SOPA Stands for
Stop
Online
Piracy
Act
Photo by Nick Humphries, CC Some Rights Reserved

4. What does SOPA do?
Allows rightholders (e.g, Expands the offense to
Recording Labels, the
Increases penalties
“(1) copyrighted work by
MPAA and Artists) to digital transmission, for people found
issue a court order [READ: Streaming Media] guilty of these
requiring ISPs to block and (2) work intended for
websites that they feel
infringements.
commercial
violate their copyright. dissemination by making
it available on a
computer network.”*1+
[1] Library of Congress, SOPA Bill Summary

5. Who supports SOPA?
Viacom RIAA MPAA News Corp 3M
PetMeds Electronic Arts Rolex Watch Sony Time Warner
USA Electronics
The Walt NCAA Universal Toshiba Universal
Disney Music Group America Music Group
Company Business
Solutions, Inc.
Ultimate U.S. Chamber World Zippo Zumba Fitness,
Fighting of Commerce Wrestling Manufacturing LLC
Championship Entertainment, Company
Inc.
Beachbody, LLC CBS Bose HarperCollins Rite Aid
Corporation Corporation Publishers
From Theories of Conspiricies: List of Major Companies Supporting SOPA.

6. Who opposes SOPA?
Microsoft Twitter Facebook Google Reddit
Wikipedia WordPress AOL PayPal American
Express
Zynga Craigslist eBay Discover Mozilla
HostGator deviantART Riot Games Grooveshark Daily Kos
Center for Democracy and Technology

7. Why is SOPA bad?
SOPA’s text has several holes in it. These
holes can cause problems for websites.
According to the law itself, all a site has to
be is a site aimed at U.S Users that either
avoids confirming that it can be used to
forsake copyright, or actively promotes
infringement

8. In other words…
If your site contains any
pirated content, or
could be used to
pirate, it could be
considered dedicated
to U.S Property Theft
in the eyes of the
government and the
rightsholders.

9. What does this mean
to you?
Sites like Facebook and Youtube have lots
and lots of content. A lot of it may
violate copyright.
All a rightsholder has to do is indicate this,
and the entire site is shut down.

10. But I’m outside the
US!
Doesn’t matter.
The site can still be blocked off by ISPs if you are found
to be serving US Citizens, which can mean as much
as being in English!

11. No more Facebook.
No more Youtube.
No more sites that
could even
POTENTIALLY be
used for piracy.

12. This means if anyone
claims anything on
your blog or profile,
your site is GONE.

13. Even if someone else
uploads or links to
pirated content, you
can still be liable for
criminal charges.

14. What can YOU do
to stop this?
Photo by Patrick Gage

15. Take action!
Contact your
representative and tell Click here to find
them you want SOPA out who YOUR
representative is!
opposed.

16. Vote out your
representative
If your representative is
in favor of SOPA, vote Click here for a list
them out in the next of representatives
election if you don’t who support or
agree with their other oppose SOPA
practices.

17. Boycott SOPA
supporters
It might be near-
Click here for a
impossibly to boycott all list of companies
of SOPA’s supporters, that support
but not giving the SOPA!
supporters your money
will send a strong
message to them!

18. Spread Awareness
Do you blog? Use Facebook or Twitter?
Play an MMO? These are all viable places
you can spread the word: OPPOSE SOPA!

19. Black out your site
On January 18th, sites such as Wikipedia
and Reddit will black out their sites in
protest of the bill. You can black out your
site as well for 24 hours.

20. Don’t let SOPA Happen
We have a right to a free internet,
don’t let corporations decide what
we can and cannot see!