As an artist, I’m certainly aware of and sensitive to copyright issues on the web. However, I have to agree with the many who are saying that there are better ways to go about avoiding piracy without bringing in the government. If SOPA passes, the government could issue a court order against an artist or website to have the work and artist removed. Many artists rely on virtual fans; the sharing and discussing of works. I’ve never met an artist who minds this, as long as credit is given and the images are kept intact. If SOPA passes, sites like Tumblr, Facebook, DeviantArt.. could be gone. What about the many websites that host a number of artist’s work? Never mind that if the government is allowed this privilege, who’s to say how far they’ll take it? There’s many articles and blog posts on the web right now about this subject, but I found this one especially interesting.
For this reason, I will be offline and in blackout tomorrow for 24 hours in protest of SOPA.
