GoDaddy dinged in Hollywood’s anti-piracy war
Hollywood’s never-ending battle against online piracy has a new victim today — GoDaddy.com, the world’s largest registrar of Internet domains.
"The enemy has been sighted off the port bow Capt. Disney."
Everyone’s heard of GoDaddy, perhaps best known for their sexist (not sexy, as Spinal Tap might say) commercials aired during the Super Bowl featuring women in small shirts.
Thursday, opponents of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) are boycotting GoDaddy, which was one of the few tech firms to support federal legislation that would require Internet Service Providers to block connections to torrent search engines and other sites that assist in the illegal distribution of copyrighted films, music and other content.
The boycott has already cost GoDaddy thousands of customers. One company pulled more than 1,000 domains from GoDaddy already. Still, GoDaddy controls 45 million domain names, four times more than its closest competitor, so it is unlikely elephant hunter and company founder Bob Parsons will be taking a pay cut.
The boycott threat did make GoDaddy swap sides, however.
SOPA is not a done deal. Congress is expected to take up the measure in January. It’s a political hot potato if there ever was one.
One one side of the issue you have what has been called “old media” — the politically powerful but financially faltering movie and music industry.
Opponents of SOPA read like a who’s who of the Internet. Google, Facebook, Twitter, Craigslist, eBay, Mozilla, Yahoo, AOL, and LinkedIn wrote a letter to key members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, saying SOPA poses “a serious risk to our industry’s continued track record of innovation and job creation, as well as to our nation’s cybersecurity.”
Google co-founder Sergey Brin said Dec. 15 that SOPA would “censor search results” and put the U.S. on par with “the most oppressive nations in the world.”
Yahoo quit the U.S. Chamber of Commerce over the organization’s enthusiastic support for SOPA. Google is considering it.
So far, at least $91 million has been spent on lobbying efforts to assure SOPA’s passage, according to the non-partisan Center For Responsive Politics.
Meanwhile, viral songstress Leah Kauffman has let her feelings be known with the release of “Firewall (Don’t Let Our Government Ruin The Internets).”
What happens next? No telling, but when it comes to stopping copyright violators, perhaps that pirate ship has already sailed.
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28 comments Add your comment
RC
December 29th, 2011
2:04 pm
Stopping people from stealing is a fine objective. This article doesn’t articulate HOW they are attempting to go about stopping the theft from taking place. Comment sections on an online article are insufficient place for teaching someone the intricacies of this proposed legislation, because it sounds like you have no idea what this legislation will allow our government to do. Or perhaps you think due process is dispensable.
NotYou
December 29th, 2011
2:12 pm
@Steve, a few things. Who has lost their job due to a piracy issue? Please state specific examples.
Also, it is hard for me to believe Google, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter, and eBay are “pathetic little parasites”. If you haven’t noticed, they pretty much set the course for technology development moving forward. But, working for a “software firm”, you already know that…I think. Very few people will disagree that stealing is stealing. However, this act is far reaching and well beyond what you are talking about-which is why you see so many large companies on board.
crackbaby
December 29th, 2011
2:13 pm
What is illegal or immoral about the concept of a library, contributed to by individuals? (as opposed to those run by governments or universities). If I let you borrow my CD or DVD to listen or watch, its cool. But if I do it electronically its stealing?
Why can’t I create copies of recording that have only the songs I want to hear, in the order I want to hear them (rather than the published order and the crap that fills most “albums”).
I have contributed thousands of dollars to software companies like Microsoft, who refuse to speak with me and sell flawed product that is in constant need of updates.
In my lifetime, I have purchased many copies of the same album / cd only to have to buy another when the first wears out.
Intellectual “property” is questionable and should be highly scrutinized. What is dangerous is allowing the media and software conglomerates to drive this legislation, with over $91 spent to date on lobbying.
Maybe these copyright holders should adapt new revenue models to adapt to the 21st century, like the newspaper industry, etc….
Keep a close watch on the votes on this bill – those who support it should be targeted in their next election cycle.
crackbaby
December 29th, 2011
2:14 pm
$91 million
Fred Richards
December 29th, 2011
2:26 pm
I agree with quite a few of the comments on here. Piracy is not right, and it should be stopped. But this SOPA law is not the proper way to go about it. It’s about censorship, and political figures making laws about technology that they hardly understand. This is about our corrupt government bowing to the whims of a few large corporations and media conglomerates. In fact, this is a prime example of IP (intellectual property) law abuse. We need proper IP, patent and copyright law reform in this country, but bills like SOPA really do threaten to put our country on par with oppressive regimes. It’s a slippery slope folks, it starts with this, but where does it end?
(o.O)
December 29th, 2011
2:37 pm
First I’m hearing of the CEO being a elephant poacher. Not only am I not setting up the accounts I had planned to over the weekend, but I’m pulling all that I do have currently. What a asswipe! Every time I’ve spoken with a GoDaddy rep they’ve come off as a condescending douche. Obviously, this confirms that it is a trickle down culture. Buh-bye NoDaddy of mine. Deuces!
Please Expalin
December 29th, 2011
3:24 pm
@ Mason – As far as I am concerned they can “Demand” 1 Billion to act and if the consumers want to pay it, the so be it. The consumers of Movies are at fault for these outrageous fees the actors and actress get. Until people start tell them we will not pay your prices, $10.00 or whatever is costs to see a movie these days, they will continue to get it. More power to them, they do NOT get my money.
What they make still does not give you the right to steal it, just the right to tell them they are not worth it and do NOT give them your money.
Gob
December 29th, 2011
3:38 pm
No mention of Reddit?
☺☻
December 29th, 2011
3:44 pm
“How is stopping you from “Stealing” is not “Censorship””
It’s not ever really about that. It’s about controlling the internet and preventing the public from using as they see fit.
“Piracy” and such hot-button issues like that are, I’m willing to bet, and excuse for the long-term plans like censoring which websites you can visit, which have nothing to do with piracy.
It is a terrible, terrible proposition for those of us willing to actually think about the long-term effects. Do you REALLY think it will stop with “piracy”?
If so, look at China.
But then again, there are always lemmings who are willing to support anything. Fortunately most of us know better and won’t let that happen.
Bring the kids
December 29th, 2011
3:48 pm
Most of the people on here don’t realize this bill will do more harm than good. Do some research before you ignorant A## hats open your mouths. I’m sure you also read the 2500 page health reform bill that is now being called unconstitutional buy every judge in the United State. If you don’t know what you’re discussing STFU and don’t vote for christ sakes.