And of course, PIPA.  Though when we talk about PIPA, I think, "You mean, the hot sister?"

Seriously, I tend to stay away from politics but this is something I believe in very immensely.   Ever since the Internet came into existence, it has been an ever changing medium and tool.  It can cause an uprising against oppression and tyranny, as in the Arab Spring, but it can also cause people to make complete and utter asshats of themselves... of which even I am not immune at times.

The Internet is no different than the written or spoken word in terms of its impact on culture and history.  It needs to be to used for good, no doubt, but I don't think it should be subject to the kind of carte blanche censoring that these bills will allow. 

Basically, these bills give the ability for someone to take down or censor information solely on one person's word, not due process or even a scant of proof.  These bills leave too much room for abuse by people who can simply pay to enforce it, namely groups like the RIAA.

Now, as a designer and graphic artist, shouldn't I support these bills?  Shouldn't I be glad that someone is looking out for my interests?  They aren't.   I am not corporate America.  I am not mainstream Hollywood.  I am the enemy in their eyes.   And even if I follow the letter of the law, as I continually try to do in terms of my art, I could be subject to the whims of people without proof.   

You cannot stop evolution just because it does not fit into your business model.   And the groups that these bills are targeting will simply find a workaround anyway.   Home taping did not kill the music industry just as a sewing kit didn't kill the fashion industry.  The VCR did not kill the Hollywood Box Office, crappy movies did.   And the Internet, specifically Napster, didn't kill the recording industry.  The only way to stop piracy is to provide a better service than the pirates.  That better service needs to come in the form of delivery as well as the actual content.

For that, I say NOPA to SOPA and have a shirt design to express my feelings.