Blackout Day
January 18th, 2012
If you’re not yet aware, today the internet has gone on strike. It’s a metaphorical strike, simply a statement of our solidarity and expression of our displeasure with the direction of current legislation designed to undermine the openness of the web. I’d like to take a moment to speak to why Canadians need to get behind this movement, despite its American origin.
Have a little peek at this recent article, from the Huffington Post. It describes a recent ruling, where a Canadian judge ordered several ISPs to hand over identifying information about individuals who downloaded “The Hurt Locker.” Precedent showed that courts would not go after individual fire-sharers, but it seems that we’ve amended that concept- courts won’t go after individual fire-sharers unless American parties ask them to. We’re already seeing a shift in Canadian policy as it addresses the openness of the Internet, and SOPA/PIPA will have far-reaching impacts both in the US and across the global net. What country do Americans in Canada move to once we aren’t the place to be anymore?
