D.A.'s Wild Ride

My Thoughts On The SOPA Protests

This is probably an imprudent post given my friends in tech, but I must admit to being slightly annoyed by the SOPA protests. I don’t know its particulars well enough to weigh-in on the legislation itself, but the faux-bohemian aesthetic of the resistance, conjured up by these internet millionaires and billionaires, rubbed me the wrong way.

I am all for a free, uncensored, rapidly evolving internet, but it’s simply disingenuous how so many tech players hide behind the DMCA’s ISP loophole while building fortunes off the backs of the creative class. As a society, I think it’s imperative that we protect those who commit themselves to making beautiful things, and it is sad to me that Silicon Valley doesn’t seem to take seriously the importance of reducing piracy.

I’ve pirated music, software, TV shows, and movies like everyone else in my generation, but usually only because convenient legal alternatives were not available. I’m never “proud” of stealing, though, and I would never publicly belittle the rights of the folks who made the things I’ve stolen.

I’m sure SOPA sucks, and more power to every citizen who wants to voice their opinion about a policy. But when you accumulate vast money and power, you sort of lose the license to be a countercultural freedom fighter. Yet that was the posture of those shutting down sites and blocking out comments in response to SOPA. Meanwhile, they have been funneling millions to lobbyists, currying favor and influence with political elites, and living like kings.

Just imagine all of the investment banks getting together and making a similar public fuss over their lobbying agenda. Wouldn’t we all find that pretty unbecoming?

I have nothing but love for my friends in the technology World, but I do think that they could be more sympathetic to those who make the art that drives users into their digital empires.