Today everyone is paying close attention to the attempts to have videos documenting police brutality removed from You-Tube. There is a much greater threat looming. HR3261 Allows the U.S. Government to serve any internet provider with a court order to remove what they deem is copyrighted material or be shut down within five days. Under the guise of stopping piracy, any site can be shut down indefinitely. It is important to respect the rights of artists and make sure they are compensated for their creative endeavors. That said, shutting down a site with millions of pieces of content based upon on person choosing to violate copyright laws is more than heavy handed.

When any person, even law enforcement can upload any content to a site it is inevitable that the potential for abuse guarantees abuse.

Link to HR 3261

A true Democracy in contemporary times is dependent on a free and open society. Those in power who like how the world is working for them are depending upon world governments to quell the uprisings and maintain the status quo. HR3261 could shut down Facebook, You Tube, Twitter and many more.

Make no mistake, those in power will do anything to make sure the demonstrations are stopped. Right now the provisions of the Patriot Act are being combed over and utilized to end the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Last, this bill is the canary in the coal mine. More are to come. Get ready for a steady barrage of legal attempts to quell dissent and crack down even more on information sharing.

The coming months will permanently shape the future of this country. We have two ways to go: <------To a greater police state and corporate rule or -----> to a true democracy. Stay in the streets, stay informed. We are shaping this world and we have a responsibility to posterity to do so.

*Diary Amended: The other half is presented... and the picture clears up! Thanks to KOS user David Segal who let me know another scary bill that will work in tandem with the House Bill has been in the works for months. Senate bill or S.968 is the Protect IP Act. It grants the government powers to block user’s access to websites accused of copyright infringement. *

http://thomas.loc.gov/...

Demand Progress is currentlycirculating a petitionregarding HR 3261 but has yet to connect this bill to ending communication helping us to freely assemble. *Signing an online petition has yet to change anything substantially, Taking to the streets has a track record of pushing real social change.*