APPLE, MICROSOFT AND INTEL TURN AGAINST SO-CALLED “ANTI-PIRACY” BILL

The controversial “Stop Online Piracy Act” was dealt a blow yesterday when The Business Software Association, which includes tech giants like Apple, Microsoft, and Intel, reversed its stance on the measure. Whereas the BSA had originally supported the bill, they’ve now decided (rightfully so) that it would be way too far reaching and would tear the fabric of the entire Internet apart. From PC World [via Gizmodo]:

Valid and important questions have been raised about the bill. It is intended to get at the worst of the worst offenders. As it now stands, however, it could sweep in more than just truly egregious actors…Due process, free speech, and privacy are rights cannot be compromised.

And that’s exactly it; the bill has good intentions (stopping piracy), but the way in which it proposes to do so would go far beyond just stopping piracy into territory that threatens free speech and throws due process completely out the window. The bill isn’t dead yet by any means, but this is an important step towards either a) killing it completely, or b) re-working it into something much more fair.

-VN