8/3/2019 SOPA/PIPA Justice Talking Points

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PIPA/SOPASocialJusticeTalkingPoints

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Background:

The"StopOnlinePiracyAct"andthe"ProtectIPAct"couldfundamentallychangetheInternet,asweknowitlimiting

theopennessandcreativityoftheInternetthatourcommunitieshavefoughtfor.Amongotherthings,thesebillscould

censorwebsites,limitinnovation,andkilljobsoutcomesthatourcommunitiescannotafford.

Congresshasthepowertostopthesebillsbuttheyneedtohearfromus.Theyneedtoknowthat OUR

communitiescommunitiesofcolor,ruralandtribalcommunitiesandAmericaspoor--careabouttechnologyandthe

roleitplaysinsocialandeconomicinclusion.

WecanplayadirectroleindeterminingthefutureoftheInternet!Whenyoucallyourelectedofficialsletthemknowthefollowing:

TalkingPoints:

Thoughthesebillsaredesignedtoprotectcontentcreators'rights,theirallornothingapproachcouldexacerbatethe

challengesthatourcommunitiesfaceduetoacontinueddigitaldivide,andwillhaveconsequencesforhowtheInternet

functionsasawhole.Historicallymarginalizedcommunitiesshouldnothavetofaceadditionalobstaclesintheirstruggle

toclosethedigitaldivide.

Asintellectualpropertybecomesincreasinglytiedtonationalandeconomicsecurityitsmoreimportantthaneverthat

proposedrulespromotestandardsofsocialandeconomicequitythatbenefiteveryone.SocialandEconomicjustice

cannottakeabackseattopropertyrightswithalawthatlimitstherolecreativityplaysinthehealthandwellbeingof

ourcommunities.

Forartists,innovatorsandculturalworkerstheInternetservesasaglobalstoreforcreativeworksandanaffordable

digitalplatformtocreate,distributeandpromotework.Ourcommunitiescannotaffordaclosedandproprietary

Internetthatlimitsourabilitytowork.

The"StopOnlinePiracyAct"andthe"ProtectIPAct"aresupposedtotargetforeignwebsites,butthevaguelanguagein

themcouldimpactwebsitesthatareownedandoperatedbyAmericancompanies.Forthesereasons,SOPA/PIPAcould

harmsmallbusinessesthatcouldhavetheirentiresiteshutdownwithlittleremedyornodueprocessbeforethese

impactsarefelt.

Communicationsisafundamentalhumanright,andaccesstoafairandopenInternetisamajorhumanrightsissueof

ourtime.TheUnitedStatesshouldnotengageinrulemakingthatleadstocensoringtheInternetanddisablingpeople's

abilitytoaccesslawfulcontent,whetheritresidesonsiteshostedinsideoroutsidetheU.S.,becausesuchblocking

wouldlimitstherolethatafreeandopenInternetplaysinstrengtheningglobalcivilsociety.

1Talkingpointscreatedby:CenterforMediaJustice,PublicKnowledgeandFreePress.