The Stop Online Piracy Act. Basically it is an act that forbids internet users from using content under copyright. EVERYTHING under copyright. Music, video game footage, everything. We are looking at a China-level firewall. Yes, Google has started moving a lot of digital content out of the U.S. because it potentially contains copyrighted information

a simple explanation of what SOPA will do using an example:

With the current laws (the DMCA), I have to send a cease-and-desist notice to Tumblr.com, and as long as they remove a downloadable link, they’re in the clear, protected by the DMCA’s safe harbor part. But it’s not perfect for me, I’m the one who has to monitor sites like Tumblr, and if someone re-uploads the song, I have to send another cease-and-desist. If I’m fairly popular, or have more than one song, this can be quite a chore. And if Tumblr  ignores me, well, I can file a lawsuit, but what good will that do if they’re in some random land? (thePirateBay is still up and running!)

What SOPA would allow me to do:

1) Without going to court first, I can block advertisers and payment processors (like PayPal) from doing any business with FreeSongsHere. I might use this power for good, but will bigger companies use it to bully sites they don’t like?

2) Use the might of the federal government to block people from going to Tumblr, even if it’s not hosted in the US.

3) Even if most of what Tumblr hosts is legal, I can get them in trouble. And while Tumblr might have primarily infringing stuff, sites like YouTube, Wikipedia, and Reddit are worried that their sites may become a target (for example, Reddit has several subreddits that promote or discuss piracy).

4) Websites like Tumblr, Reddit and Wikipedia will be pressured to monitor and censor anything that copyright companies might be upset by. And their track record ain’t exactly spotless, here’s a story from today where Viacom zapped their own game trailer, and another where media companies blocked a song that offended their precious sensibilities.