Tim O’Reilly, Founder and CEO, of O’Reilly Media, approaches the argument against SOPA from the stand point that this isn’t a matter of “simply weighing the concerns of one set of lobbyists against those of another, but using a standard of care and independent judgment about what is best for our society.” (emphasis mine)
Do we want to stifle creativity or squelch it?
His interview with GigaOM :
…The way I see it, there’s a lack of need for any legislation at all. As a publisher, I have a very deep experience here, and the fact is that piracy is not a significant problem. Yes, there are people who are pirating my books, there are people who are sharing links to places where they can be downloaded. But the vast majority of customers are willing to pay if the product is widely available and the price is fair. If you have a relationship with your customers, and they know you’re doing the right thing, they will support you.
The people who are pirating are most likely the people who would never give you a nickel to begin with. Piracy serves people on the fringes who are not being served adequately by legitimate markets. Frankly, if people in Romania can download my books and enjoy them, more power to them. They weren’t going to pay me anyway.
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And further comments that didn’t make it in to the above article:
…My point is that when evaluating the request for legislation like SOPA, Congress ought to be considering factors like:
* The credibility of those making claims. The motion picture industry has a history of opposing every new technology, even those that proved ultimately to grow the market. (MPAA head Jack Valenti’s claim that the VCR was the equivalent of letting “Jack the Ripper” into your home is the most famous example.)
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I have contacted my legislators to express my opinion about this piece of legislation that will change the internet from a place where there is a free exchange of ideas, to a place of corporate control.
