Opinion

SOPA stems from artists’ greed

Posted January 22, 2012 11:00 pm

Teachers generously share successful lesson plans on the Web with no expectation of compensation. I’m alive today because oncologists all over the world share effective treatment protocols for cancer and other diseases.

Yet, so-called “artists” are so afraid that your kid is going to perform his imitation of Justin Bieber or some other popular entertainer on YouTube, for which they will receive no royalty, that they are pushing for passage of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and its Senate companion, the Protect IP Act (PIPA), which have the potential of darkening any site which may, unwittingly, feature copyrighted material. Even linking to such a website may be illegal, along with using such material on social networking sites like Facebook.

Remember when true artists worked purely for their art, with financial reward coming much later, occasionally long after they died? Shame on you cheapskates, for putting your bank accounts before the First Amendment rights of everyone else!

Richard A. Kosinski

Chicago

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