Today is the day where many popular sites are blacking out in an effort to protest the anti-piracy bills that certain members of the government are so blindly trying to force down the public’s throat. Granted, the uninformed public out there probably deserves their fate, but thankfully, these folks aren’t the only members of the Internet population; although, they are a loud bunch.
Because so many big-name sites are blacked out to protest SOPA, naturally, the MPAA decided it was their responsibility to remind us how misguided these entities are and that SOPA/PIPA are good pieces of legislation (PDF). Not only did the MPAA’s PR department issue a release, one that refers to these protests as a “gimmick,” they also wrote something about it on their blog.
Both pieces of content essentially mock the anti-SOPA efforts with such brilliant prose like the following, which is taken from the MPAA’s blog:
some technology business interests are resorting to stunts that punish their users or turn them into their corporate pawns, rather than coming to the table to find solutions to a problem that all now seem to agree is very real and damaging.
It is an irresponsible response and a disservice to people who rely on them for information and use their services. It is also an abuse of power given the freedoms these companies enjoy in the marketplace today. It’s a dangerous and troubling development when the platforms that serve as gateways to information intentionally skew the facts to incite their users in order to further their corporate interests.
A so-called “blackout” is yet another gimmick, albeit a dangerous one, designed to punish elected and administration officials who are working diligently to protect American jobs from foreign criminals. It is our hope that the White House and the Congress will call on those who intend to stage this “blackout” to stop the hyperbole and PR stunts and engage in meaningful efforts to combat piracy.
So the MPAA wants the government to step in and try to stop the blackouts from happening? So, basically, instead of addressing the issues these protesting entities have directly, the Motion Picture Association of America would rather the government intervene? Therein, folks, lies the problem with the entities that are trying to influence Internet legislation: They only see their side of the story, and anyone who disagrees with the proposed anti-piracy bills are “irresponsible.”
Because insulting those who disagree with your position is a great way to find common ground; but then again, common ground is not what the MPAA wants. They want to be able to shutdown whatever site offends their sense of copyright infringement, and nothing more. They do not care if Google, Reddit, Wikipedia, and the host of other sites resort to drastic measures in order to protest SOPA/PIPA. They only want compliance with their way of thinking.