Earlier this week, Representative Lamar Smith, one of they key sponsors of the oft-discussed SOPA legislation, issued something of a challenge to Reddit users, calling them a vocal minority who’s fears concerning SOPA were unfounded. Smith also challenged the Reddit community to point out the areas of SOPA that will damage the structure of the Internet, as he firmly believes there is none present in the SOPA bill. In the words of Reddit users all over the world, the response to Smith was simple:
The response was done in video format and it comes in two parts, both of which appear on YouTube. According to the description, the first video was a trial run, and the second represents more of what the creator was aiming for:
To add some much needed levity to the situation, the uploader, who goes by CopyrightActivist, features a “Remix this video” option, effectively demonstrating the idea of fair use, an idea the entertainment industry, particularly the RIAA, is strongly opposed to. Sometimes, the most effective demonstrations of protest are the simplest ones.
As for the videos, the creator takes Smith’s challenge and confronts it head-on, pointing out various stanzas from the SOPA bill, and discusses how they empower the copyright holders, and the potential havoc they could unleash. Unfortunately, however, it’s likely the content of this video will never be seen by Smith, and even if it is, it will be disregarded or ignored. It’s clear Smith made his point without the thought of a response, and his labeling of the Reddit crowd gives us insight into how such users are perceived by the establishment.
That is, they are a minority and, apparently, their words, opinions, and beliefs don’t count as much as Smith’s agenda, one that’s been largely financed by the entertainment industry.
Now that Smith’s challenge has been accepted and responded to, will Smith adjust his thinking or will he simply relegate and/or ignore sites like Reddit, seeing how he considers the users there to be in the minority in regards to their anti-SOPA stance?