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Sad Statement: Senators Behind Two Largest Tech Communities In The US Support PIPA Against Those Communities

from the anyone-else-want-to-step-up? dept

Wed, Jan 11th 2012 8:01pm — Mike Masnick

Charlie O'Donnell has an excellent post noting just how ridiculous it is that New York's two Senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, both support PIPA. He notes that NY has become an up-and-coming tech hub these days. Indeed, over the last decade, NYC has emerged as the widely agreed upon "second" hub of tech startups after SF/Silicon Valley. However, having both of NY's Senators support PIPA, despite near universal condemnation from the tech sector is an embarrassment:

It�s an embarrassment, frankly, to our tech community. If you support this bill, you are not supportive of us. All of our local politicians--our Senators, Mayor Bloomberg... and other policymakers need to be fighting this.

Chuck Schumer and Kristin Gillibrand need to switch their positions immediately on these bills, which should really aptly be named the �Stop Innovation on the Internet� bill. If NYC is going to fulfill its potential as an innovation hub, we can't have our senators supporting SOPA. They�re on the wrong side of history here, and they don�t understand enough about the internet and how it came to be to see why.

Of course, it's even worse than that for tech hubs. Here in Silicon Valley... we also have both of our Senators supporting the bill. Senators Feinstein and Boxer are both supporters, with Feinstein being so incredibly out of touch, she doesn't even realize that there are complaints about the bill.

This is a really sad statement on both politics and the nature of innovation in America today. For all the talk politicians say about how they're in favor of creating jobs, and despite multiple studies showing that startups are the ones who actually create the jobs... when it comes time to figure out actual policy positions to take, these Senators "follow the money" and support Hollywood's position, because Hollywood funds their campaigns. While perhaps you can make the claim that Feinstein and Boxer represent both Silicon Valley and Hollywood -- the fact that all four of these Senators support an anti-innovation, anti-tech, anti-jobs bill like PIPA is a huge travesty.

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Filed Under: barbara boxer, california, chuck schumer, dianne feinstein, kirsten gillibrand, new york, pipa, politics, protect ip, sopa, tech hubs

31 Comments

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Dave, 11 Jan 2012 @ 8:28pm

The Problem is...
The problem is that most of the people supporting SOPA and PIPA do not really even use the Internet as most people do, so they choose to remain out of touch. They have no idea of how many people get their news sources from the Internet rather than from major news Networks and Publications. They will be in for a nasty surprise.
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- Danny (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:30pm
  
  Re: The Problem is...
  Id like to know where my (IL) reps stand. can someone point me to a link showing congressional supporters and opponents? I emailed my congressman and asked, but got nothing back from him.
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Pixelation, 11 Jan 2012 @ 8:38pm

Hmmm...
I got a response from Feinstein. She apparently now realizes there are complaints behind the bill. She apparently still believes shutting down a site for copyright infringement does not equal limiting free speech however.
"I understand you have concerns about the "PROTECT IP Act." While I voted in favor of this bill when it was before the Senate Judiciary Committee, I have also been working with California high-technology businesses to improve the bill and to address the concerns of high-tech businesses, public interest groups and others. I recognize the bill needs further changes to prevent it from imposing undue burdens on legitimate businesses and activities, and I will be working to make the improvements, either by working with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) or through amendments on the Senate floor.
"

"The bill does not violate First Amendment rights to free speech because copyright piracy is not speech. "

Hmmm...
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- Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 1:05am
  
  Re: Hmmm...
  Perhaps it's time for Congress and the Senate to see how fast the people can prepare a militia in the Internet age...
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  - Hephaestus (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 7:27am
    
    Re: Re: Hmmm...
    That is a seriously scary thought in a country with more guns than people.
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- gorehound (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:44am
  
  Re: Hmmm...
  Screw You FEinstein:
  How much money did you get from the MAFIAA you RAT !
  SOPA/PIPA = WAR
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- abc gum, 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:54am
  
  Re: Hmmm...
  ""The bill does not violate First Amendment rights to free speech because copyright piracy is not speech. ""
  
  What an obfuscation.
  
  Obviously, people will violate the 1st amendment rights of others under the protection afforded them with this unneeded legislation. How dense can one be - or is this feigned ignorance?
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ECA (profile), 11 Jan 2012 @ 8:55pm

I will give you a sad statement
ANY PERSON,
with a family and keeping up with there children, grand children.. Will have at least 1 tech savy person in the family..
JUST talking to your OWN family can give you a better understanding of what is happening around you.

So,
what are these idiots doing? GETTING PAID-OFF.

There is no way they could not know, understand, what is happening unless they were putting a blind EAR to the world and their own families.
I will estimate that at least 20-30% of Net users, have used some form of movie watching that is not Legal, or traded abit of music online. I will bet, that the tech savy Kid in the family has given some of the music and videos around to to their family(streaming video is easy) and friends.
OUT OF TOUCH is strong word..when said about the PEOPLE, but even worse in the family.
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jan 2012 @ 9:01pm

should really aptly be named the �Stop Innovation on the Internet� bill.

The Startup Obliteration and Prevention Act.
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- Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 9:41am
  
  Re:
  PIPA
  Prevent Internet Progress/Prosperity Act
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jan 2012 @ 9:32pm

Come On Voters
Vote the bums out. It is unfortunate that you Americans have managed to get yourself legislators who are corrupt and stupid. Well, 2012 is an election year. Get yourselves organized. Get a real grassroots organization going. Bite all those companies which have come out against SOPA/PIPA for money. There should be absolutely vicious attack ads appearing on US TV real soon. Keep up the attacks until election day. You need to outspend the bad guys. Get on with it.
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- Zos (profile), 11 Jan 2012 @ 9:50pm
  
  Re: Come On Voters
  great idea in theory, but every potential player's bought, or hoping to one day be bought. There's not a lot of ways out short of ron paul leading a revolution.
  Outspending them isn't an option, now that money is speech, and corps are people.
  
  outliving them may be, going by the drug war numbers in another decade or two all these dinosaurs should have died off. But i can't help thinking that there's always another batch incubating at some ivy league prep school.
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- PaulT (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:48am
  
  Re: Come On Voters
  "You need to outspend the bad guys"
  
  There's at least one major flaw in your plan, of course...
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  - Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:19am
    
    Re: Re: Come On Voters
    Do not be so defeatist. The tech industry is far larger than Hollywood. The tech industry hates politics but they hate interference in their business by politics even more. Give them an organization which they can trust to spend the money properly and the donations will flow. Hollywood can be outspent, because they are a small industry. Hollywood is already running at just about the limit of their ability to spend. Meanwhile, the tech industry is about to get itself even more gravely damaged by bad laws passed by corrupt legislators, plus the tech industry has far more money. You have to REALLY FRIGHTEN the pollies. Getting ALL of the current supporters of PIPA/SOPA defeated in the election should be the minimum you are aiming for. Ideally, you want a whole new bunch of legislators who are smart, honest and determined. It is called "fire in the belly". Plus they should regard Hollywood as the corrupt a**holes that they really are. Get angry. Do not give up.
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    - Hephaestus (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 7:32am
      
      Re: Re: Re: Come On Voters
      "Getting ALL of the current supporters of PIPA/SOPA defeated in the election should be the minimum you are aiming for."
      
      Between hacker news, reddit, google+ and facebook getting them defeated is actually workable. Throw on top of that an app that blacklists products from corporations supporting the bill and we could make a difference.
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- gorehound (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:46am
  
  Re: Come On Voters
  There will be nothing on our TV guy and neither will there be stories in any major newspapers.
  We will all have to rise and create total mayhem.We will need millions to hack and crack and blow their websites down.
  And we need to get out to the public all the dirt you can possibly release.
  SOPA/PIPA = WAR
  They have opened up Pandora's Box.
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- Jay (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 8:04am
  
  Re: Come On Voters
  Why do people come onto the site to disparage others?
  
  Yes, it's a result of the horribly atrocious voting system we have in place. We know. We have a minority rule in American politics that prevents the best candidate of any party from stepping forward.
  
  We have politicians that can be bought, that take money from Rupert Murdoch as well as the likes of Jack Abramoff in order to make 22,000% investment returns on their businesses through regulatory capture of the market.
  
  But what people constantly miss while they admonish the US is the grassroots of the Occupy movement, showing that frustration of a system that is more interested in keeping itself going instead of making society better.
  
  Believe me, there will be a lot of truths coming out in the next few months. No revolution came overnight.
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Violated (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 12:40am

Fun with Acronyms
Preventing Innovation & Privacy Act (PIPA)

Supreme Overlords Punishing Anyone (SOPA)
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mike allen (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 1:41am

campaign funds
You expect different from a politician? It will get even worse in election year money talks louder than you or I.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 4:46am

Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand have always been an embarrassment to New York. It's just that there are a lot of voters who care more about the (D) than the person, so they tried ignore it.
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- Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:17am
  
  Re:
  Apparently that is changing, maybe not enough to make a difference yet, but it is changing.
  
  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16480070
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:19am

The problem is that both CA and NY are also two biggest states for Hollywood business to, and Hollywood has more money, lobbyists, and supports SOPA/PIPA.
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Ken Gross, 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:23am

Its all about the Benjamins
The representatives are representing those who they perceived put them into place.

Unfortunately, that is not people but the large corporations who can fund them.

We have the best government that money can buy.
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Rob, 12 Jan 2012 @ 5:24am

I contacted Gillibrand via email. Her office sent back a standard email bragging how she is a co-sponser of PIPA. This idiot senator actually brags about supporting PIPA. It just shows you how money corrupts or politicians.
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Anonymous Coward, 12 Jan 2012 @ 6:14am

hehe
I don't think you CAN "vote the bums out" sadly.
Basically Obama, the democrats AND the republicans have all been bought off by big business.

Pretty much now the only thing that will change the current system is if the general population rise up and forceably overthrow the system.

No, before someone comments I'm not saying WHAT should replace it, only that the current system is no longer a democracy by any stretch of the imagination.

The president has unlimited power and can target anyone he likes for assassination - and indeed there have already been several murders inside and outside the US due to this overreaching power.

If the current government system (even if it changes to republican) continues then due to the new powers the government has (and it's seeming glee at using them) then things will never improve except for a tiny minority of greedy rich people who have so much at the expense of everyone else that if they gave away 90%, it wouldn't even make a dent in their lifestyles.
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- abc gum, 12 Jan 2012 @ 6:41am
  
  Re: hehe
  Could it be that is has always been this way, but was hidden from the commoner view via influence pedaling in the media? ... And now that the internet has them in a spot light, they are becoming aware of their uncloaking?
  Just sayin - there is nothing nothing new here, it was not better in the olden days blah blah - it has always needed fixin.
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theDude, 12 Jan 2012 @ 7:49am

money money money
It has nothing to do with what is in whos distict. If you want these people to support your cause, you simply pay them to do so. Im not sure why anyone would expect anything different. If this is really bad for the tech sector, then CISCO/GOOLE/ETC need to spend some money. Legislation is like everything else, you get what you pay for.
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Jay Fude (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 1:35pm

SOPA Renamed
Screw Off Public America? Screw Over People Always? Can we just fire all of congress, wipe the slate clean? Can we have an government by the people and for the people? Can we have laws that the average Joe can understand? Look at our Constitution, plain English, short, understandable. Any law that is longer than the Constitution, we should burn, and make them try again.
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tracker1 (profile), 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:14pm

Google should pledge funding to their competition..
Google & Facebook should each pledge $500K for senators and $100K to the opposition of any senator/congressman supporting either of these bills. That might do something to change their tunes. Do so publicly, before voting on them. They change their positions or get tossed... If both of them did this, that would mean a full million in your oppositions banks for the next election (senators). That's a lot of money. Google/Facebook could go farther, and present campaign opposition popovers to people regarding their local districts in the election season.
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CN, 12 Jan 2012 @ 3:50pm

SGTYM - Stop Giving Them Your Money
The big players are actually contributing to their own demise. More and more people who get annoyed by the restrictions on the product they paid for have turned to illegitimate sources for the product, we all know that.

What about when people start thinking about how they get this crap pushed through by paying off congress-critters and so forth?

How can we stop them from buying politicians?

Cut off their funding. Stop buying their product. It doesn't matter if you get it elsewhere, or take the moral high road and simply don't get it anywhere. That is each individual's choice. The important thing, which is what I am encouraging here, is "do not give them your money to use against you".

Once they can't afford to pay off politicians, things will get easier and they will fade into oblivion.

Meanwhile the artists will do just fine without giant corporate overlords, as they did for centuries. I suspect they will thrive.
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Don Peppino, 18 Jan 2012 @ 2:44pm

PIPA/SOPA
Maybe you "techies" will now stop supportling these out of touch/untouchable leftist politicians. As you can see, they don't really give a crap about you at all.
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