Preparing for the #SOPAstrike

SOPA Strike: http://sopastrike.com/

Briefly, on Wednesday, January 18, supporting sites around the web are going black, meaning literally black and that their content may be unavailable. The purpose is to illustrate the potential impact on free access to information if SOPA passes and the government chose to intervene in the availability of a given site. In their words:

“On Jan 24th, Congress will vote to pass internet censorship in the Senate, even though the vast majority of Americans are opposed. We need to kill the bill – PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House – to protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and prosperity. We need internet companies to follow Reddit’s lead and stand up for the web, as we internet users are doing every day.”

“Now the government and corporations could block any site, foreign or domestic, just for one infringing link. Sites like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook would have to censor their users or get shut down since they become liable for everything users post.”

Some of the sites going black may impact on library patrons, teachers, and students, who may be unpleasantly surprised to find information resources unavailable. We, as librarians, may need to plan our workflow to accommodate these “outages,” as well as how we provide support or services.

Sites listed as participating in the #sopastrike blackout include (but are not limited to):

CONFIRMED
* FailBlog
* FreePress
* GoodIs
* Monbulk College
* MoveOn
* Mozilla
* Tucows
* Twitpic
* Wikipedia
* WordPress

UNCONFIRMED:
* Mendeley
* YouTube
* Twitter

and many more listed at:
http://sopastrike.com/on-strike/

Organizations opposing SOPA but not currently listed as going black include (but are not limited to):
* American Express
* American Association of Law Libraries
* American Library Association
* Association of College and Research Libraries
* Center for Democracy and Technology
* EDUCAUSE
* Electronic Frontier Foundation
* Google
* Human Rights Watch
* New America Foundation
* Reporters Without Borders
* Special Libraries Association
* Visa
* Yahoo Inc.

Organizations listed as supporting SOPA include (but are not limited to):
* Adidas America
* Advanced Medical Technology Association
* AFL-CIO
* Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers
* American Association of Independent Music
* American Federation of Musicians
* Association of American Publishers
* Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association
* Bose Corporation
* Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)
* Business Software Alliance
* CBS Corporation
* Comcast
* Council of State Governments
* Disney
* Eli Lilly and Company
* Entertainment Software Association
* Ford Motor Company
* Greeting Card Association
* HarperCollins Publishers
* Independent Film & Television Alliance
* Johnson & Johnson
* Major League Baseball
* Merck
* Microsoft
* Motion Picture Association of America
* National Association of Theater Owners
* National Basketball Association
* National Criminal Justice Association
* National District Attorneys Association
* National Football League
* National Fraternal Order of Police
* Nike, Inc.
* Nintendo
* Pfizer
* Recording Industry Association of America
* Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council
* U. S. Chamber of Commerce
* Underwriters Laboratories Inc.
* Walmart
* Warner Music Group
* Xerox Corporation

More information:

Fight for the Future: Protect the Internet Act: http://fightforthefuture.org/pipa

Open Congress: S.968 – PROTECT IP Act of 2011: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s968/show Money