SOPA, so far

There is a new four-letter word in vogue, and it happens to be one of the most detested words on the Internet right now. SOPA.

If you are a regular on Twitter, you're probably already clued in to the the huge wave of protest building up against SOPA. Well, what is SOPA? According to Wikipedia, “The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), also known as H.R. 3261, is a bill that was introduced in the United States House of Representatives. The bill expands the ability of US law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods.”

The SOPA storm has already hit one company hard - GoDaddy.com. Once it was evident that GoDaddy supported SOPA, there was a massive outrage, resulting in a exodus from GoDaddy. An about-turn by the company, was of no use. Sony Music, Time Warner, Walmart, Apple and CBS - other companies that back SOPA - are also facing the resultant boycott.

Those lobbying for the implementation of SOPA seem to be completely devoid of support from tech enthusiasts and Internet junkies. Those hit earlier by GoDaddy's actions are also furious. David Rusenko, who co-founded Weebly, says in his blog: “This story has never been told, and it's incredibly important to tell it today; it's a perfect example of what might come to be if SOPA becomes law - a shoot first, question later mentality held by GoDaddy.” He goes on to explain how Weebly was shut down by GoDaddy after a complaint by a user. Even Heritage Foundation, known for pro-copyright stands, opposes SOPA. It says SOPA is a serious threat “to freedom of speech and expression” and raises “security concerns”.

Unless the US government withdraws the bill, GoDaddy's fate could just be the tip of the iceberg.

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