Problems in Digital Land

     Well, they say that a good thing can't last forever, and I'm not sure which is failing faster, the government or the internet.  Now, I'm not a person who's into the whole "Big Brother is watching you" scenario, nor do I dislike the United States, but some of the actions our congressmen are participating in just worry me.
     Todays worry comes from a little side article I read in this months Maximum PC magazine(Holiday 2010, pg 12).  It isn't available on-line yet, but when it does, read the monthly on tech law.  This one is a killer.
     An act sitting before congress even as I type, titled The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, is trying to limit our freedom to view content on-line.
     The way that the bill works is this:

"The bill creates two blacklists of Internet domain names. The first can be added to by a court, the second by the Attorney General. Internet service providers (everyone from Comcast to PayPal to Google AdSense) would be required to block any domains on the first list. They would also receive immunity for blocking domains on the second list." (quote found here)

      This horrifies me.  This is the kind of strict regiment communist China takes to control their people.  I'm not sure I like idea of a judge deciding I can't view a website because some one, some where on the sight uploaded a picture or video that had copyright under someone else's name.  This kind of legislation could be used to block you from ever viewing YouTube, or FaceBook, or even Blogger!  This is preposterous, and I believe this needs to be dealt with.  Head over to DemandProgress.org if this is something you don't feel is right, and help to stop our country escape from limitations of freedom.