The 90 Million Dollar Internet
Most of us think of the internet as a wonderful tool. You can get information, send e-mails, go shopping, and a wealth of other daily chores. To be sure, the world-wide-web has changed our lives in many ways. We all know that with all the blessings come the “dark side” of the web- all the bad things that can happen on line. It is a mixed blessing but the flow of digital information has become a permanent part of our lives. While much of the future is unknown, one thing is for sure- the internet will be an even greater part of the lives of our children and grandchildren.
There is an important public debate that is taking place that may affect all of us eventually. Even if you are a casual or novice user of the internet, two bills before Congress are worthy of your attention. One is called the “Stop Online Piracy Act,” the other is called the “Protect IP Act.” Both bills have good reason for consideration. They both basically try to protect the rights of people who produce entertainment, movies, music, and books. The bills will try to prevent the on line piracy of these media- to prevent people from “pirating” them, i.e., creating digital versions that other people can get without paying.
At first glance this seems more than fair- it costs money to make a movie so why should someone be able to download it for free? On the surface these bills do nothing more than try to prevent people from stealing what “belongs” to someone else. Only fair, right? The stakes in this battle are very high. Estimates say that groups on both sides of the issue have spent more than 90 million dollars in lobbying for or against these bills. Why are groups so willing to spend so much money? For the entertainment industry the investment makes sense- spend a little, save a lot! People will have to pay for their music and movies. Why are other groups spending millions to oppose the bill? Are they a bunch of crooks who just want to steal music?
This brings us to the bigger issue- the control or restriction of the internet. The “net” is the most powerful weapon on the face of the earth. From “Occupy Wall Street” to the popular uprisings in the Arab world we have seen the new tool that moves, motivates, and unites people is their ability to communicate instantly. Those who oppose these bills worry that new restrictions will begin to eat away at the freedom of information and communication that we now enjoy. Their thinking is that “the internet does not need police.” While piracy is one of many abuses of the internet, some folks are very skeptical of regulations.
While these seem like small issues to many of us, what we decide now will dictate how we use the internet in the future and, while I don’t justify piracy, I would like to keep the internet a cyber-place without stoplights and parking tickets. Next time you are on line say “hi” to the grandkids for me!

This article appeared in the South Florida Jewish Journaland the Atlanta Jewish Times