Blackout Against Copyright Overreach: Stop SOPA and PIPA

by wseltzer | January 17, 2012

The Tor Project doesn't usually get involved with U.S. copyright debates. But SOPA and PIPA (the House's "Stop Online Piracy Act" and the Senate's "Protect-IP Act") go beyond enforcement of copyright. These copyright bills would strain the infrastructure of the Internet, on which many free communications -- anonymous or identified -- depend. Originally, the bills proposed that so-called "rogue sites" should be blocked through the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS). That would have broken DNSSEC security and shared U.S. censorship tactics with those of China's "great firewall."

Now, while we hear that DNS-blocking is off the table, the bills remain threatening to the network of intermediaries who carry online speech. Most critically to Tor, SOPA contained a provision forbidding "circumvention" of court-ordered blocking that was written broadly enough that it could apply to Tor -- which helps its users to "circumvent" local-network censorship. Further, both bills broaden the reach of intermediary liability, to hold conduits and search engines liable for user-supplied infringement. The private rights of action and "safe harbors" could force or encourage providers to censor well beyond the current DMCA's "notice and takedown" provision (of which Chilling Effects documents numerous burdens and abuses).

On January 18, we're joining Wikipedia, Reddit, the MIT Media Lab, and hundreds of others in protest, turning a portion of the Tor site black to call attention to copyright balance and remind the US Congress and voters of the value of the open Internet.

U.S. citizens, please call or write, to urge your representatives to stop SOPA and PIPA. Elsewhere in the world, keep an eye out for similar legislation. and bring the fight there too.

Comments

Please note that the comment area below has been archived.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 17, 2012

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Wow.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 20, 2012

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Ooo

Our device has been hijacked and robbed of it's contents, partially. This includes information we had stored privately, as in not posted to any social network. Included in this menagerie were recorded images of works in progress, not yet copywritten/registered, so forth as well as images we consider private, which are not pornographic and do not harm anyone but nonetheless could be distorted, altered in context, redistributed; we cannot account for what becomes of this hacked information and feel violated. We have had materials spoofed, not merely removed. Not each of us has the level of proficiency to guard against online onslaughts of various sorts. We are vulnerable, in the current environment, to some degree, lacking certain skills. We cannot as it is entirely account for having received pirated materials...which is a concern. I do not know that a lack of techno literacy ought to render anyone defenseless. We understand, support and admire those efforts to preserve free speech. Still, there are kinks to iron out and I am the last person that knows how, exactly, that ought to take place.

I agree fully with your concerns and appreciate your carefull way of presenting your doubts. Yet I would like to add the following to your point: ours limited internet abilities shouldn't be the main factor for making a law for all the people, who use the internet. Our difficulties in protecting ourselves can be bridged and remedied by public services like Electronic Frontier Foundation and Tor Organization.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 17, 2012

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I support your protest as an American who lives in Iran.
I have been using Tor as the only way and means to scape censorship and
keep my anonymity.
If the US of A want to follow suite with Iranian and Chinese government,then what is
the difference among that and the other two ?

Anonymous who wants to stay ANONYMOUS .

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 17, 2012

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This Bill must be stopped, if it goes through what next censored press, censored schooling. The Internet must remain Censorship free , Protect our freedom say no to SOPA and PIPA

Because they just are. With their browser, you have the opportunity to surf absolutely anonymous. Meaning, if you use their browser and illegally download movies or mp3s, nobody can see where you are actually sitting. I think that's enough for making TOR a really great site. I urge you to try TOR - it's absolutely FREE !

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 18, 2012

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BY STARTERS, absolutely without any aim on degrading these services; we should not rely on this sort of software to protect our privacy from anything nor anyone: Ideally this and all other similar resources shouldn't be necessary if external scrutiny would not exist. This is I mean: authorities are supposed to protect it, not to attempt against it.

This is an important matter, that deserves real attention, copyright can't be compared with it, as we're talking of items against persons,

If this succeeds under conscience of what's being affected then becomes clear what the real US policy is, who's sake it's for and how it's expended in matter of real human rights, if they won't respect this then it's the real start-point to accept they won't respect anything.This is a real threat against all of us not only some,

This is something that just must not happen, It's just another excuse to invade freedom in the name of another so called 'right' [by system]. If they will to use real tactical methods to find measures against copyrights threats, at the time they'll get to strain them also they'll get to improve on important threads like i.e. speech freedom, privacy, etcetera, and not in the whole opposite way,

Where I am, we're unexpectedly living a nonsense war, and most people is convinced it's because authorities do know not how to stop running such 'wise' policies, [...]

Impressively and believe it or not, just at the moment I'm typing this I had to turn off the light and hide myself for a brief time until I could hear the some-80 gunfire shots for halt, just at 30 ft from my bedroom's window, [wow]
It's not the first shooting I've heard in this same range of distance but the nearest, longest and loudest, And if it's not going to be also the last, I really hope it keeps being like that in same such terms, and yes, my heart really pounded ...

this really happened when at my typing, as I'm just writing it,

This could be not a big deal for many people, but when you are used to live in a place where oneself usually told of to be the biggest monastery in earth inhabited of about +1 000 000 of souls and suddenly all this is just happening, just because 'urgent' measures 'must' be held,

[...] which have taken off thousands of innocent lifes, [I was to type this when this shooting came up suddenly]

[If you want to know where I am just look at news for a dr*g's war hit country,]

It's just gone too far. Such bill in such terms must be ignored. There are real effective ways to protect copyright, along everything else must be protected, just think it for real,

Bills on topics like privacy, freedom of speech and on, must be treated, guaranteed and defended first. These are real priorities.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 18, 2012

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If websites like Wikipedia and others block the IP's of all politicians in the US who are supporting SOPA & PIPA, would that convince them to wote against these proposals?

that's a more precise action, but
* i think it would be difficult to legally identify their IPs.
* popular site shutdowns motivate third parties a little to maybe 'do something' (complain or something.)

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 18, 2012

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Brilliant. Go for guys. You have our full support.
Tor has always been a great resource and sort of uber community. I'm software developer and sys admin and I gained a lot of personal knowledge on .onion sites. It'd be a shame for the whole world if the people didn't have right to access free information whenever and whereever.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 19, 2012

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Does PIPA contain "circumvention" ban, or SOPA only?

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 19, 2012

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The United States have essentially run out of places to invade. Nations that could barely fight back, have been brutalized over the past one hundred years. Those who haven't, are either so called "allies", or, have nukes. So now, they've decided to invade the next frontier: cyberspace. What is most incredible however, is how the entire world is uniting, to realize the greatest threats to freedom, peace, and world stability today, do not come from men who's names are of middle eastern descent, but rather from men with names like John, Michael, Richard, and others.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 20, 2012

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People need to wake up and see that SOPA/PIPA are only symptoms of a much larger problem: government being too big. Read, watch and vote Ron Paul for more information on this topic.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 20, 2012

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This is what it's all about, friends!

Carlin – The Real Owners Of America

“The real owners are the big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians, they’re an irrelevancy. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the statehouses, the city halls. They’ve got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies, so that they control just about all of the news and information you hear. They’ve got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying ­ lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want; they want more for themselves and less for everybody else.”

“But I’ll tell you what they don’t want. They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That’s against their interests. They don’t want people who are smart enough to sit around the kitchen table and figure out how badly they’re getting fucked by a system that threw them overboard 30 fucking years ago.

“You know what they want? Obedient workers people who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paperwork but just dumb enough to passively accept all these increasingly shittier jobs with the lower pay, the longer hours, reduced benefits, the end of overtime and the vanishing pension that disappears the minute you go to collect it. And, now, they’re coming for your Social Security. They want your fucking retirement money. They want it back, so they can give it to their criminal friends on Wall Street. And you know something? They’ll get it. They’ll get it all, sooner or later, because they own this fucking place. It’s a big club, and you ain’t in it. You and I are not in the big club.”

“This country is finished.”

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 21, 2012

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Protest had effect, new law is not made, they will discuss it in the future. But, shutting down megaupload and arresting of owners is also part of this story, FBI act even before SOPA/PIPA is adopted as law by congress. So, my question would be: is it possible to make filesharing site as a tor hidden service, with using html5 instead of Adobe Flash? Tor is not using Flash but html5 (video tags) is not using flash also, problem is only traffic of Tor network... I think if someone create new "megaupload" software for upload/download, which would include Tor Relay bundle, number of PC included in tor network would jump and traffic speed would be better.
By the way, if Tor network is provided only by 800 computers, obviously more advertising of Tor should be done and it would bring more people to install Relay and to make tor network bigger.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 22, 2012

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After the November elections, these will be tacked on to a much needed bill and passed by a "Lame Duck" congress. Obama will sign it while proclaiming his opposition.

Same old same old.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 26, 2012

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fgh

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 27, 2012

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To those who are being lulled asleep by the PIPA/SOPA bill being put aside.... It's the oldest trick in the book. They make it look like you have a victory by shelving the bill, but will sneak it through by placing it in another bill that has nothing to do with the internet. This cloak and dagger technique is always used so watch out for it - don't go back to sleep.

SOPA is a red herring. Makes a good smokescreen so people get all bent out of shape and not notice the passing OPEN-Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act, which has far worse repercussions than SOPA or PIPA can even begin to address.

SOPA is a distraction and will probably be shot down due to the exposure it is receiving. It is there to take attention away from other measures being put into play to achieve the same intended goals. If you actually read the legislation, SOPA and PIPA are essentially the same thing, the only difference being there is some language in SOPA pertaining to fake military items, fake drugs and badges with brands on them. The purpose of these 2 bills is not to extend any sort of new powers to those looking to snuff out piracy, rather they outline new penalties to an existing piece of legislation called the Lanham Act, pertaining to trademark law. The purpose of SOPA has been trumped up purposely to be a distraction, it will get all these rally cries, petitions, protests, etc, like you are seeing now. Eventually it will get shot down, assuring a false sense of victory all the while OPEN is silently getting passed under the radar.

OPEN has a section of language in it that defines a scenario in which piracy is not able to even exist. It outlines a plan, partnered with support of ICANN, to restructure the way in which the DNS and WHOIS system works. It involves implementing new top-level domain systems, doing away with the old .com, .net, .org, etc systems. Let's say you have a site selling t-shirts, under the new system you can have a .tshirt domain name. These new domains will have to be registered using a new "thicker whois" system, requiring you to provide irrefutable proof as to your identity before you are allowed to have a site. Proof such as SS#, Passport, things of this ilk. Over time, older sites will have to comply to the "thicker whois" system or they will be phased out. This also applies for international IPs as well. This is about you having to register and prove who you are or else you can't get a domain name.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 27, 2012

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To those who are being lulled asleep by the PIPA/SOPA bill being put aside.... It's the oldest trick in the book. They make it look like you have a victory by shelving the bill, but will sneak it through by placing it in another bill that has nothing to do with the internet. This cloak and dagger technique is always used so watch out for it - don't go back to sleep.

SOPA is a red herring. Makes a good smokescreen so people get all bent out of shape and not notice the passing OPEN-Online Protection and Enforcement of Digital Trade Act, which has far worse repercussions than SOPA or PIPA can even begin to address.

SOPA is a distraction and will probably be shot down due to the exposure it is receiving. It is there to take attention away from other measures being put into play to achieve the same intended goals. If you actually read the legislation, SOPA and PIPA are essentially the same thing, the only difference being there is some language in SOPA pertaining to fake military items, fake drugs and badges with brands on them. The purpose of these 2 bills is not to extend any sort of new powers to those looking to snuff out piracy, rather they outline new penalties to an existing piece of legislation called the Lanham Act, pertaining to trademark law. The purpose of SOPA has been trumped up purposely to be a distraction, it will get all these rally cries, petitions, protests, etc, like you are seeing now. Eventually it will get shot down, assuring a false sense of victory all the while OPEN is silently getting passed under the radar.

OPEN has a section of language in it that defines a scenario in which piracy is not able to even exist. It outlines a plan, partnered with support of ICANN, to restructure the way in which the DNS and WHOIS system works. It involves implementing new top-level domain systems, doing away with the old .com, .net, .org, etc systems. Let's say you have a site selling t-shirts, under the new system you can have a .tshirt domain name. These new domains will have to be registered using a new "thicker whois" system, requiring you to provide irrefutable proof as to your identity before you are allowed to have a site. Proof such as SS#, Passport, things of this ilk. Over time, older sites will have to comply to the "thicker whois" system or they will be phased out. This also applies for international IPs as well. This is about you having to register and prove who you are or else you can't get a domain name.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 31, 2012

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Our device has been hijacked and robbed of it's contents, partially. This includes information we had stored privately, as in not posted to any social network. Included in this menagerie were recorded images of works in progress, not yet copywritten/registered, so forth as well as images we consider private, which are not pornographic and do not harm anyone but nonetheless could be distorted, altered in context, redistributed; we cannot account for what becomes of this hacked information and feel violated. We have had materials spoofed, not merely removed. Not each of us has the level of proficiency to guard against online onslaughts of various sorts. We are vulnerable, in the current environment, to some degree, lacking certain skills. We do not know that this anon comment is even anon as it is not clear our device is compatible with version of tor, nor can we even account for having received an UNaltered version... I do not know that a lack of techno literacy ought to render anyone defenseless. We understand, support and admire those efforts to preserve free speech. Still, there are kinks to iron out and I am the last person that knows how, exactly, that ought to take place.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

January 31, 2012

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I blame Hollywood, personally. God damn, Costa Rica sounds better everyday.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

February 07, 2012

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This reminds me of a book Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, where the government is illegally arresting everybody and monitoring everything anyone does. I don't want the U.S. to turn into that, because this internet policy could easily spread.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

February 19, 2012

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ACTA(Anti Counterfeit Trade Agreement) IS the real threat!

It allows it by the meanings and in the name of patents of,let's say... generic drugs are stopped from reaching people who needs them.
You can think of all scenarios including file sharing,and see that ACTA is much worse than SOPA

I <3 TOR

Anonymous (not verified) said:

March 01, 2012

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Anon has the "generic drugs" part right!

For the past three to six months, a critical drug in my regimen (I have a psychiatric disability, essentially described as: life in the USA as a working "Super-Mom" made me crazy!) has become increasingly difficult to obtain.

Prices have skyrocketed but the pharmacies STILL have a shortage.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

March 02, 2012

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This is total B.S. All under the Homeland Security which reminds me of the SS Germany in the 30's and 40's Everyone needs to watch 911 lose change and 911 In Plane sight. Another good movie to watch on Netflix is The Gas Hole. If you view all these it will give you a little inside information as to whats going on in America!

I totally agree! I have burned and given out hundreds of copies of In Plane Site, Loose Change Final Cut and American: Freedom to Fascism. These are movies everyone should see. I'll check out The Gas Hole, I have not seen that one yet.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

March 02, 2012

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Just watch the following document films......... 911 Lose change....... 911 In Plane Sight........... The Gas Hole......... All available on Netflix. And then you too can have your eyes opened as to what's going on in America!!!!

Anonymous (not verified) said:

March 16, 2012

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I saw a comment above suggesting the creation of a Tor-style hidden filesharing website - THAT IS ABSOLUTELY
B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!

That would be an AMAZING ASSET FOR THE TOR NETWORK. Just do it. We´d have half the planet on Tor = Revolution. Fuck them all.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

March 16, 2012

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I´ve just read a comment suggesting the creation of a Tor-style, hidden filesharing website - that is ABSOLUTELY
B-R-I-L-L-I-A-N-T!!

Just do it. We´ll have half the planet on Tor = Revolution.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

April 02, 2012

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´;.:,` Tor to me is the god of thunder...its a little disrespectfull giving this epic name to some addon ...it would be like me making a videogame and calling it jesus?

Anonymous (not verified) said:

April 13, 2012

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Liberty only exist in peace time but furthermore fed gov got corrupted and blinded by power and money, Mr. Chris Dodd an example.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

April 18, 2012

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Why set up a Tor-style, hidden filesharing website?
If people didn't use the internet for so many illegal purposes then we wouldn't be in this kind of mess in the first place.

Get off you butt, work hard, earn your way and pay for the shit you want.
Seriously it costs like $6 to hire a dvd, if you've got time to watch more than one in a week you're not working hard enough or getting the exercise you need

Sure censorship sucks, but the majority of people who are commenting are more worried about losing their ability to anon fileshare than they are about people stuck in china & Iran who cant even get services we all access freely each day.

Just my 2 cents

Anonymous (not verified) said:

May 13, 2012

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Hello team Tor Browser We admire your program of choice in Syria that I hope you Tzido support of the program and be aware of monitoring devices and to list and thank you

Anonymous (not verified) said:

May 17, 2012

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Are you guys going to comment on the CISPA (Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act)? Seems like an anonymity compromise just waiting to happen, for anyone. At the very least it's very Orwellian. Will Tor allow it's users to bypass any attempted blocks by the U.S. or what?

I haven't looked at CISPA in detail -- seems there's a new privacy-eroding bill coming out each week. I recommend you follow EFF's summary of, and work on, these things.

As for whether Tor will continue to function, at a technical level, in the face of simple DNS blocks... it already does.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

May 18, 2012

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I should not be afraid or paranoid of using the Internet. It was made for free information with witch we can learn and extend our cultural knowledge. It is a shame to suffer through this. Central America ....

Anonymous (not verified) said:

May 25, 2012

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This is actually exciting , America wants the oil now the internet what next.
America is powerful but the Anonymous much more....

Anonymous (not verified) said:

May 25, 2012

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why US wants to censor the whole world it depends upon the respective countries whether or not they want such censorship. this is absolutely mafia kind of threatening our court may not accept their judgment so why we should be banned for using or creating any file hosting service.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

May 29, 2012

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I'm an American. I no longer support my government. Because they have betrayed everything this country was built on. Freedom! For religion and censorship. My country has become no better than china and Russia. My country wants to control the world and it's own people now. I'm am a former Marine Corps combat veteran. I cant use my GI Bill. The government wrote so many fine lines in it. I cant get a home loan backed by being a veteran with no money down. My government also wrote it very fined lined. My medial VA benefits are the same. Yet my president and his family have total health care. so does congress and the senate. But not us VETERANS! I had two uncles that retired from the military and died in a VA hospital. That could have been saved by surgeries the VA does not pay for. Back to the subject. I believe in TOR.
I know longer belive in America. Yet I am an American. America is dead!!!!! The dream is dead!!!!! You the world have this from an American. That lives in the USA. Freedom is DEAD!!!! In America. My government only supports the rich and wealthy. While the poor poverty stricken men of the country fight the wars of the rich and wealthy. And then are tossed asides like trash. The American Government does not support the US Constitution. And what it stands for. This from a US citizen.

Anonymous (not verified) said:

June 02, 2012

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This Is Me!, I'm Full Of RAGE!! and My Opinion Against This OLD Pervert System: "The Ruthless Money Machine" That... Is Wasting Our Precious Time Of Our Life. They Are Using US!., Tricking Us Into Paying! For Their Virtual CRAP..., Blinding Our Eyesight with Movies(images and sounds that move - as they wish), Covering Our Hearing with Their Music(controlling our spiritual mood - as they wish), Forcing Us To Use Their Computing Programs(of course, not for free...) and NOW AGAIN... Trying to Control AND Shut DOWN OUR PRECIOUS Liberty of FREEDOM!!! THE FREEDOM TO CHOOSE(between Buying or NOT Their Trash !?!!
Please Do Not Allow The American(and Global) Money Factory, To Win Against The Humanity And The FREEDOM of The FUTURE of Our Kinds, OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS

THANK YOU . . . Just Think About.... and ACT
... just another human being. . .