If you are reading this blog, then you are savvy enough to navigate the internet and/or search out content on your own initiative. Since knowledge of these bills is widespread, I will keep summaries short and to the point.
Summary
SOPA and PIPA are bills currently in the US Congress that seek a "sledgehammer" approach to getting rid of piracy once and for all- by censoring the internet for american citizens. If you think you are outside US jurisdiction and safe- you are wrong. They will, and have, strongly insisted for extradition of foreign citizens to the United States for trial.
Why did piracy form?
Internet piracy is the downloading of copyrighted content that was not purchased. Large corporations argue that they are losing money due to piracy, and this isn't exactly true. As technology advances, people want to enjoy content in more meaningful ways. Dinosaur business models argue that you still need to come into the store and buy a CD. Customers want the content on their tablets, their portable devices, their phones, and so on.
In early 2000, piracy became an issue with the beginning of Napster. Songs were a pain in the ass to get, and Napster offered a new way to access music. It was a business model that should have been immediately adopted, but instead was the target of lawsuits and legal action.
Who started the piracy boom?
The very corporations that want to censor the internet for their control. That's right- CBS/Viacom, Disney, and a myriad of other corporations openly distributed file sharing software for free download. There is evidence, in excess of over 100,000 pages, that points a finger at these corporations releasing the software, then in return suing to claim damages. This is flagrant criminal activity on the part of major corporations.
Why do people pirate?
For two reasons. One reason, the biggest reason, is because file access was a pain in the ass. It wasn't convenient to get a movie or a song many years ago. Now that streaming services are live by certain companies such as Netflix, piracy has seen a drastic decrease (these corporations claim to be able to monitor piracy, but do not disclose how they arrive at their numbers). The second reason is simply because they do not want to pay for the product. Often, pirated material is of low quality- and if companies offer convenient, high quality content- the American consumer will buy.
Won't the American Government put a stop to this?
The answer is a flat out no. These corporations are huge campaign sponsors for Congressional bureaucrats. They also spend millions of dollars each year in lobbying to make sure that they have control over what is said in the legislative branch of the government. Congressional lawmakers have admitted to being illiterate with technology, and do not understand the full picture of the problem at hand. They have blatantly ignored engineers and designers who say that these bills will kill innovation on the internet.
How will SOPA and PIPA be stopped in their tracks?
By talking sense into the US Congress, which seems almost impossible given their knowledge of anything outside of mudslinging at the other political party. The supreme court, which cannot be bought out for a vote, has stated their extreme opposition the the bill and its major violations to the 1st and 4th Amendments of the US Constitution (Free speech and due process).
How does SOPA Work?
SOPA allows major corporations, such as Hollywood, Viacom, the kit and kaboodle) to request that any infringing website be taken down WITHOUT a proper trial in court. The government can then contact ISPs (service providers) and search engines and force them to block out access to these websites. Those websites can include any file sharing website such as facebook, youtube or twitter. If the content is HOSTED on that site, then the site is liable for damages, and will be taken down.
Congress has put off this legislation until 2012, and it will be a bit before we see either the death of these bills- or the censorship of the internet.
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