Want to STOP SOPA / STOP PIPA? Use these tools and be involved.

The STOP SOPA / NO on SOPA / NO on PIPA movement has become an unprecedented online show of solidarity, demonstrating to Congress that individuals working together are just as influential as well-funded corporate interests when we put our minds to it.

If you know about SOPA or PIPA but don’t know how you can make a difference, or want to learn why the SOPA and PIPA legislation is bad for online innovation and fundamental First Amendment freedom of expression by users like you, I’ve put together this post with information and links to help you BE INFORMED and GET INVOLVED:

SUMMARY OF THE ‘STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT’ (SOPA):

Summary courtesy OpenCongress.org:
This bill would establish a system for taking down websites that the Justice Department determines to be dedicated to copyright infringment.

The DoJ or the copyright owner would be able to commence a legal action against any site they deem to have “only limited purpose or use other than infringement,” and the DoJ would be allowed to demand that search engines, social networking sites and domain name services block access to the targeted site. It would also make unauthorized web streaming of copyrighted content a felony with a possible penalty up to five years in prison. This bill combines two separate Senate bills – S.968 and S.978 – into one big House bill.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE ‘STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT’ (SOPA):

• SOPA Infographic: A graphic demonstration of SOPA’s impact
  
• Infographic: What SOPA means to business & innovation
  
• Read the text of SOPA (H.R. 3261)
  Includes official summary of the bill as presently drafted
• Who in Congress supports SOPA?
  ProPublica breaks down SOPA-supporting House and Senate members by party, state, their age, donations received from pro-SOPA corporations and frequently updated news including statements from members of Congress regarding their (evolving) positions on SOPA
• How will SOPA affect you?
  CNET.com offers an insightful look at SOPA’s impact on the average Internet user, and answers questions about the things we do online and the ways SOPA might interfere with our lives online
• Companies/corporations that support SOPA
  PDF document listing companies whose position is pro-SOPA
• An analysis of SOPA: Tech Law & Policy
  How the House took the Senate’s bad Internet Piracy bill and managed to make it even worse… (courtesy Arstechnica)
• A Legis Memo by Lawrence H. Tribe on SOPA 1st Amendment violations
  Laurence H. Tribe, Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard, has taught at its Law School since 1968. Tribe has prevailed in three-fifths of the many appellate cases he has argued (including 35 in the U.S. Supreme Court). He wrote this memo in opposition to the SOPA legislation as drafted. 

TAKE ACTION: WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP SOPA

• Automatically send your US Senators and US Representative an email
  This site automatically drafts a NO ON SOPA email for you to customize, looks up your representatives in Congress based on your Zip Code, and sends everything off with a single click in a shockingly short amount of time. Courtesy of OpenCongress.org

• Complete the Take Action Checklist to Stop Censorship
  This resource has many action-items to help us stay involved, and is updated as new opportunities to act become available.
• Add the following banners to your Twitter pic: 
  “CENSORED”: http://t.co/Ie9Bz4L2
  “STOP SOPA”: http://t.co/vlaSE7je
• Join and follow the STOP SOPA group on Google+ 
  There are many groups and resources dedicated to stopping SOPA around the web; this is one available on Google+ that has members with excellent information, up-to-the-minute news and diverse resources for virtually every aspect of NO on SOPA, NO on PIPA and the ensuing debate…
• Be active on social networks like Google+, Twitter and Facebook:
  Post links to articles, resources and general information to let people in your social network know that you oppose SOPA. Include hashtags: #nosopa #stopsopa #nopipa #sopa #pipa in Twitter messages, Google+ posts and other stuff you share online. Let friends and family know about NO on SOPA, and let them know how they can help STOP SOPA & STOP PIPA.

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• BlackoutSOPA.org – Change your profile picture to protest SOPA! (darioalvarez.net)
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• SOPA / PIPA Blackout (secondmode.wordpress.com)
• Support the SOPA, PIPA Protest (securityskeptic.typepad.com)
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• Stop SOPA (dontleavetowngavin.com)
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