Ladies & Gentlemen, we're in for some very interesting times. On the 18th of this month, congress will cast it's vote on SOPA, a bill that will grant the recording, film, game, and other entertainment industries unparalleled power over content on the internet. It's a very frightening thing, as there has never been anything this damaging to so many internet sites before, other than the usual stuff.
What makes this all the more tragic & pathetic is the fact that the government already has a hand in on the internet. Due to legal items in place since the internet's inception, the government monitors for any sign of human trafficking, piracy, and terrorism. This is all that we need to keep the web safe. We don't need a bill (whether complete or crippled) that could potentially damage many of the internet sites that we know, love, and use on a daily basis. Sites like Youtube, Veoh, Dailymotion, and many others would become shells of their former selves, and sites with partial use of custom videos, like Destructoid and it's kin, would take an immense amount of damage.
The way I view SOPA, and probably most of the other people who protest against this bill, is that it's nothing more than a weak, knee-jerk reaction by a dying industry. With the music & movie industry losing control to services like Youtube and other similar sites, it's only natural for them to try & regain some control...for all the wrong reasons. The feeling is very evident in some of the companies that support bill.
All of this leads to my issue in regards to downloading. It doesn't matter what gets downloaded: music albums, video games, movies, or anime. Everything that we love is being hurt by illegal downloads. The anime industry itself hasn't been doing well in the past few years, with ADV Films (R.I.P.) closing in 2009, and a host of other companies either closing or having severe downsizing issues. Movie, game, and music companies also have been receiving some damage due to piracy. However, there is something else to discuss.
We can all agree that downloading is damaging, but certain industries sometimes blow it out of proportion. On top of that, movies, games, anime, and music that is no longer in print really doesn't cause any kind of damage. In particular, games that are no longer in print, or the companies just don't really use anymore, are what gamers call Abandonware. Essentially, they're games that can be downloaded without any form of retaliation from the game company. Even with movies and music, the older or less used it is, the less likely that you'll get in trouble. Anime, on the other hand, is a bit of a different picture.
With the blows the anime industry has taken in the past 2+ years, it's easy to see why downloading can be a bit of an issue. Voice actors and the companies they work for speak against it, fans speak against it, and plenty of others speak out against it. The way I see it, if you download new animes (that have been dubbed), then you're an idiot. If you download titles that are no longer in print, or the license has been lost or expired, then I see no reason why downloading is a problem. I have only downloaded one anime in my entire time (so far) as an otaku, and that's because it's from 1994, happened to have been subbed, and the parent company never gave a license to a company in the U.S. to dub it.
In the end, what I'm trying to say is that there is room for some kind of compromise. We need the people and the government to work together to create a bill that somehow works for both sides, not just some internet-mangling piece of paper that will benefit those that are higher on the food chain.
On an more pleasant note, I'll be putting up my review of Nightwarriors: Darkstalker's Revenge sometime this week or next week. Until next time, stay Otaku!
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