In a November 28, 2011 Wall Street Journal article titled “Horror Show: Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley” columnist L. Gordon Crovitz spells out the implications of US government legislative proposals that will replace Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA), with chilling effect. The proposed legislation does not have the “safe harbor” provision, protecting service providers, currently in effect under DCMA.
The new legislation, which has bipartisan support and the weight of the Motion Picture Association of America behind it, takes a “shoot first, ask questions later” approach to possible copyright infringements on web sites. The proposed legislation gives the US government the right to shut down an entire site upon a complaint by a copyright holder. The legalese makes web site owners responsible for any and all content on their site, including content posted by third parties. Even a single link posted by a site user can result in the entire site being shut down until the copyright issue is resolved under the proposed legislation.
Internet proponents are beginning to fight back, but the proposed legislation is up for a vote prior to the end of 2011, just days away. Read the full article here.