This post was written on November 17th, 2011. Reposting for the Blackout about to occur tomorrow…

PROTECT IP is an acronym for “Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property.”

PROTECT IP is also known as US Senate Bill S.968 and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) H.R.3261

The bill’s self proclaimed goal: “To prevent online threats to economic creativity and theft of intellectual property, and for other purposes.” Read the full bill here: PROTECT IP Act

AmericanCensorship.org is leading the resistance to this bill. To be honest, I don’t really like censorship in any form. But, there are instances where it’s necessary, I understand that. The question is: is this one of them? I’ll leave it to you to decide.

What This PROTECT IP (US Senate Bill S.968) is Attempting To Do:

– Curb access to “”rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods”

– Disable rouge websites: “information location tool shall take technically feasible and reasonable measures, as expeditiously as possible, to remove or disable access to the Internet site associated with the domain name set forth in the order”. In addition, it must delete all hyperlinks to the offending “Internet site.”

Wikipedia’s Take on PROTECT IP:

PROTECT IP Act, or (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011), is also known as United States Senate Bill S.968. It was introduced on May 12, 2011 by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)^[1] and 11 initial co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle. Its goal is to give the government and copyright holders additional tools to curb access to “rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods”, especially those registered outside the U.S.^[2] The Congressional Budget Officeestimated that implementation of the bill would cost the federal government $47 million through 2016, to cover enforcement costs and the hiring and training of 22 new special agents and 26 support staff.^[3] The Senate Judiciary Committee passed the bill, but Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) placed a hold on it.^[4]

The PROTECT IP Act is a re-write of the Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA),^[5] which failed to pass in 2010. A similar House version of the bill, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)^[6] was introduced on October 26, 2011.^[7]– wikipedia’s PROTECT IP page

AmericanCensoship.com’s Take on PRTECT IP:

“It contains provisions that will chill innovation. It contains provisions that will tinker with the fundamental fabric of the internet. It gives private corporations the power to censor. And best of all, it bypasses due legal process to do much of it.” – james allworth, Harvard Business School