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The Sonic Stadium & SSMB Will Protest Against SOPA

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Author Dreadknux
70 Comments

I’d like to give advance warning to all users of The Sonic Stadium and the SSMB Forums that we will be acting in protest of the controversial US bills, SOPA and PIPA on Wednesday 18th January 2012.

The Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP Act are bills of law that will damage free speech and the sharing of information on the internet if passed. At its core, it will allow “authorities and rights holders to get court orders to force broadband providers, hosting companies, payment services and search engines to cut off websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement.”

I believe that such blanket legislation is absolutely nonsense, and as the owner of a fansite dedicated to a character or media owned by various companies, there is a real danger to the survival of community sites and fan culture.

On behalf of fansites around the world, whether Sonic-related or no, I owe it to myself to do my part to defend our free speech rights. Although The Sonic Stadium is a UK-based website, the effects of SOPA and PIPA will be felt globally.

Protest will be in effect from 12:00 noon until 12:00 midnight GMT, affecting both our UK and US readers. We apologise for the rather tactical choice of timing, but then it’s not much of an effective protest if half of our readers actually end up missing it, right?

For more information on SOPA and PIPA and how they could change the internet, read this article from the Telegraph –http://www.telegraph…at-is-SOPA.html

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Published by

Dreadknux

Founder of The Sonic Stadium and creator/co-organiser of the Summer of Sonic convention. Loves talking about Sonic the Hedgehog in his spare time. Likes Sonic Colours a little too much for his own good, apparently.

70 Comments

  1. even though they shelved it…please do it…this bill doesn’t just need to be shelved…it needs to be taken through the paper shredder or just put in a bucket of acid to melt. Plus quite frankly…EVERYONE…If you see this name Representative Lamar Smith on any BALLOT! VOTE NO! DO NOT VOTE FOR HIM EVER! This is the despicable fool who created such an atrocity of a bill…as for my opinion … YOU SIR are not fit to be a representative of anything or be serving the public in any way for that matter! If I were you sir…I would resign!

  3. I’m not going to let these bills pass. If they pass then there will be no Internet. We can hope that they won’t pass *tosses SOPA and PIPA in the trash*.

  4. Yet another reason why I love this site. We need to do all we can to stop these bills. Good move thar.

  6. You mention that you’re protesting it… but don’t mention how you’re protesting it? Have I misread?

    1. Your eyes indeed don’t deceive you.

      TSS isn’t planning on doing a total blackout, as a number of other sites are. While the high-profile blackouts will certainly have an impact, I think it defies the point of protesting against a bill that will enable site takedowns on the scale of SOPA, to, well, take your site down yourself.

  7. Without the Internet, then we’ll all be forced to be SURPRISED about what goes on in the gaming world, and we’ll all be underwhelmed once we play those games. Sony, Nintendo, and all those gaming companies will be gimped up, And worst of all, my PSN Record of 00:48.20 seconds on Tidal Tempest Zone 3 will mean NOTHING! NOTHING!! Plus, nerds will end up going outside to talk to each other, then a war will rage on between History Nerds and Sci-Fi Nerds! I read it on that Simpsons Comics Mini-Series – Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book!I say AMERICA is the REAL NAZIS, and they’ll end up learning why the third of the world hates America in World War III! And I say that Hasbro needs to get off their collective flanks, and put The Hub programs on PSN, so we can all buy My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic! Worst, Bill, Ever!

      1. just because many people are too stupid to figure out anything and can’t use COMMON SENSE in America doesn’t mean we’re NAZIS!

        1. You’re just a butthole! In fact, I think this is just a setup phase for the End of the World! First the Internet goes, and we all have to resort to snail mail for real communication! Then we lose an economy, and end up in a depression, and eventually, we lose all hope, and go to war with all nations, and we all destroy each other! Irony is that I’m an American, myself., and would wish that America be stopped by other nations.

          1. And that’s why a judicial system and a fucking constitution was put in place in case apes tried to do crap like this. Don’t blame all of America for around 200 people’s idiocy. And if America was a bunch of “Nazis”, WE WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO VOICE OUR COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS NUMBNUTS.

          2. SHUT UP BUNGHOLE!!! (YoshiAngemon)

            not the end of the world, what’s wrong with snail mail? sure it’s a little slow. what would the world be with out it? we basically are in a depression. and you be going crazy.

            This guy NEEDS brains!!

  8. I’m going to be honest here. I read the article, but my mind just went blank. I may be smart in other subjects, but History is my worst subject 🙁

    All I read was that SOPA wants to pass these certain bills, and that many people are against it…

      1. I wasn’t aware you could see in the future. While you’re at it Mr. Psychic, why don’t you tell me the plot of Sonic 4: Episode 2 in very specific details and hey you can tell me what the next Pokemon game will be during Gen 6. PWEASE MISTA PSYCHIC.

        1. …In your future, i see you recieving a shiny new sarcasm detector! even though i wasn’t really joking about what i said. not that i know that, but you, the government.

  10. well, the one that blocks/stops “fowl” language is violating the 5th amendment thus should be ruled unconstitutional.

    1. That would be violating our freedom of speech. And Washington thinks they’re gonna do good with this…. -_-

  12. You show them tss, nobody wants SOPA, ps i am an american, so i’m right in the battlefield protesting this bill

  13. Just thinking outside of copyright, could there be a possibilty that they could also be doing this to keep people a little more active, thus being more healthy so peopl have a less chance of getting heart problems i the future just as an example just so they don’t have to spend quite as much for MEDICARE.

    Imo
    SOPA is A P.O.S bill

    1. heh heh, SOPA backwards with bill at the end. (if you didn’t get it for some reason it is:
      A
      Piece
      Of
      S***

      Bill

      1. Touche’ lol…we need a contest to see who can come up with the best acronym for SOPA…this dude has got a great start already lol.

  14. Leave it to Congress to kick the can down the road yet again. Well look on the bright side. At least we now know pizza is classified as a f***ing vegetable!!!!

    1. I don’t even know how they came up with that. I usually have cheese pizza.

      …There are no veggies on that. Just meat, wheat, and dairy.

      …*Le gasp* I brought logic into the play!

  15. yes go on with this protest, knowing that they’ll probably wont even give two shits about sites being shut down “one” day and come back on the next. Im sorry but I’d have to say (and this is my opinion) but this wont solve anything AT ALL,this is really pointless, why shut down some site the gov. NEVER even heard of. There can other ways to protest but to choose one out of all the others…it had to be this…*sigh*…the government just never to people at all, when have they ever listen to the peeps. i mean look at this fact, you have old people who dont even know a damn thing about a computer…and your trying to get THEM to pass this bill……just stupid…

    1. Well you gotta remember that this is fed government discussing the issue, and doesnt have the same understanding as local government, and since Congress is being run by a bunch of apes right now, i doubt they have the common sense to turn on the computer and look around a bit. I wouldn’t worry about it, it’s already failed twice so i doubt it’ll get passed

  16. You know it’s funny. You would think there would be more important thing to pass/talk/go through, other then a bill to get rid of internet sites, that are really, causing no harm.
    I can get what they mean, in terms of movies. Cause, if you can watch a movie online for free, there’s no point to buying it.
    However, with Video Games, and somewhat music, sure you can watch gameplay videos online, and LPs/Playthroughs of games. But, at least for me, if I watch a Playthrough of a game, really like it, it makes me want to go buy it. So, I can play it myself, you know? I saw an LP of Klonoa for Wii, and in watching that, I bought the game.
    So, honestly…this whole SOPA Bill is really a waste of time for our Government.
    So…that’s my two cents…

    1. Additionally to that?

      Picture the words “economy” and “business”. Glitz them up, buff ’em, put a little blue on them…Look at how hard you work into it. A business isn’t easy, and the economy is finally starting to turn around after years.

      …Now through those two glittering words out a giant window.

      …….Yep.

  18. Agreed.

    It attacks both freedom of speech and due process of law…But not only that, there is a very simple fact that makes this bill so dangerous.

    EVERY website has infringing material if you WANT it to. Basic psychology. If you are PURPOSEFULLY looking for that material, you WILL find it.

    It shames me that Nintendo of America is supporting this. Methinks it was their decision. Nintendo of Japan is probably facepalming right now. Because, silly NoA, their website is stationed in Japan and…Lord knows what someone will find on it. Good bye business.

    Thankfully, other websites and quite a few businesses are against it, realizing. And not only that, but from what I’ve heard Congress is against it for the most part (knowing the Constitution and how…Utterly ridiculous it is), as well as Obama, who will veto it should it make it to his desk.

    In the words of Gandolf…”You shall not pass!”

    *Long rant is somewhat long*

    1. Even Nintendo is supporting them?! WTF! What is wrong with these companies?? Do they not want us to know anything about future games?

      I do not want Youtube, Goolge, etc to go away! This world will fall if it does….maybe

    2. Nintendo is supporting this????!!!! Sigh, and to think i hold in my hands right now a 3ds with first party nintendo game super mario 3d land, nintendo, i may have to turn to…

      1. Nintendo of America is, yes. I’m not sure about Nintendo of Japan, but they are probably not.

        SEGA is against SOPA, at least. He he, I loved their witty response…

  19. Pingback: Sonic Stadium Planning SOPA Protest Today | TSSZ News

  20. Awesome choice to join the Resistance! It’s obvious that WE have to protect what belongs to US! They will take away many things if they do it… I used to hate sopas (soup in spanish) and know I hate it more…

    GO RESISTANCE!!! *warrior shout*

  21. That damned SOPA was just delayed until February. I wish I could believe the blackouts and contacting Senators would give us a better chance of stopping SOPA/PIPA but our government loves money. Makes me want to avoid all hollywood movies, even commercials and say eff u celebs.

  22. Good on you Sonic Stadium for doing this protest. I really hope that this bill is not passed. When I think of this bill I think of one word ‘control’.

  23. Hello my Sonic brethrens! I’m just her to see if anyone would please sign this petition that helps stop the SOPA and PIPA. If you can please pass it on to get more signatures that would be great.

    Sign a petition to have the ESA remove their support from SOPA/PIPA here – http://www.change.org/petitions/stop-the-esa-petition-and-boycott-e3

    If you have spare time please see this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iopy4ZmBI6w&feature=youtu.be) and I added the download in the description so you can download it and post it up on your Youtube, other sites, or even on The Sonic Stadium to spread the word and stop these bills from passing. Thank you for your time.

  24. Ya know curiousity kills the cat…has anyone heard from Eddie Lebron regarding his take on SOPA since he’s doing that awesome Sonic Fan Film? Since SOPA could squash this wonderful work of art!

  25. I’m just saying….I have my pitchfork at my door and ready if it does passes. You destroy the internet, you will literally awaken an inner rage within every human that’s apart of it.

    1. So true and it would mean that all the work i do on fan art would be gone and the good fan-fictions that is ut there and all of it NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! D:

      1. And on that note, I’ll tie a shotgun to my pitchfork. There’s going to be so many pissed off fans. All the hours and hard work they put into making the things we see not just on deviant art, but all over the web.
        THERE WILL BE BLOOD.
        ((On a side note, I giggled when visiting sonic retro))

  26. look like you are not the only one who going the protesting against SOPA and PIPA
    Wikipedia, wikia and other (I believe there maybe more protesting) is also protesting against SOPA and PIPA
    @.@

  28. SOPA probably won’t get passed, but if it does, then NO COPYRIGHTLAW IN THE UNIVERSE IS GOING TO STOP ME!
    On a serious note, SOPA is a huge mistake, that violates freedom of speech, and rather than stopping piracy, stops anything on the internet in general. Fuck SOPA.

  29. Ahh! What is this, the protest? So this is what TSS would like like if it was censored from SOPA. D:

    STOP SOPA!!

  30. XD all of the site’s words are covered with black. heres a tip: hold ctrl + a or for mac, cmd + a and you shall see em

    1. We’ve had some bills pass over the last few years, the you could say in unconstitutional. Eminent Domain, the light bulb thing, even parts of the heath care law. Knowing Pat Leahy and Lamar Smith, the folks who introduced these bills for consideration, they probably don’t know how the internet really works. In the end, it’s people who think they know it all because they have the power and the money but really they don’t know much. Yet, they tell all of us what to do because they’re the government.

      This bill is not about protecting copyright. It’s about growing the size of government with shrewd flaws put in that WILL be an excuse to expand it even more.

  34. I fully agree with you, and have signed the petition twice now. Google is taking a stand too, see their homepage.

  35. It’s a pain in the proverbial poo-pipe, all this protesting, but a night without TSS at full functionality is a long way better than a lifetime with SOPA or PIPA.

  36. hey Dreadknux, i say you hunt down whoever started this Bill and SAW THAT FREAK IN HALF WITH YOUR GOLD LANCER!!!!!!!!

  38. This is one more reason I am against piracy. It gives governments an excuse to pull heavy-handed crap like this. If it weren’t for all the people stealing movies and music on the internet, this bill would have no reason to exist. As always, the innocent suffer with the guilty.

    P.S. Right now, I am listening to the Sonic CD soundtrack, which I bought off of iTunes, even though I already downloaded this soundtrack off of Sonic Stadium a few years ago. At the time, this soundtrack was not available in the U.S. (and I already had two copies of the American version of Sonic CD), but now that it’s available here, I felt a responsibility to buy it.

  41. It’d be funny if someone did something to all people’s computers who are supporting SOPA and show them what it’d be like.

    I really hope that IF SOPA does pass for some reason, it gets petitioned so much that it basically forces Congress to repeal it. or be nutjobs and wait for the bill to expire then they either renew it or scrap it. and then everything that got copyrighted during that time frame be un-whatevered. Stupid Government.

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