COICA kills free speech: Write to Sen. Leahy

Blacklisted domains and terminated websites are both possibilities if bill S.3804 becomes law. It is called “Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act” (COICA) and it was introduced by Senator Patrick Leahy on September 20, 2010.

Hard to imagine that the same man who could say:

“I commend Secretary of State Clinton for reaffirming our nation’s deep commitment to openness and freedom of expression on the Internet. The Internet has become a vital tool to protect and ensure the rights and basic freedoms of Americans and the human rights of people everywhere.” Released by Leahy’s Office in January 2010

–or–

“Why did 9/11 happen on George Bush’s watch when he had clear warnings that it was going to happen?…. Had there been an independent congress, one that could ask questions, these questions would have been asked years ago. We’d be much better off…..” U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy — interview with Amy Goodman, 9/29/2006

is now proposing legislation that will allow the government to blacklist and close down websites engaged in “infringing activities.”

Although “infringing activities” are ill defined by this legislation, it appears that websites engaged primarily in copyright infringement are targets. Websites like mine and thousands of bloggers and documentarians who use the copyrighted material of others to develop their work could well be in Leahy’s cross hairs.

As a Citizen Journalist and a Citizen Filmmaker, I was so appalled by what I saw first under Republican rule and now under Democratic leadership that I produced a film, deceptions, with zero background and for less than $1,000. I then made this film available to the public on a website I created called DeceptionsUSA.com. Rady Ananda reviewed deceptions as a “brilliant clarion to save the Internet.”

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