View From the Phlipside Radio - The Worst Story of 2011 (and 2012)!

My name is Jay Phillippi and I've spent my life in and around the media.  TV, radio, the movies and more.  I love them, and I hate them and I always have an opinion.  Call this the View from the Phlipside.

End of the year and I like to take a look back at the topics that we’ve talked about here.  This year I thought I’d do a best, worst and dumbest ideas of the year.  These are topics that bubbled to the surface this year that will carry forward into 2012.  This time let’s take a look at my worst topic nominee.

I have to admit that I bounced back and forth between my candidates for worst topic and dumbest topic.  I could argue for either one in either category.  In the end I chose the one that I think is the more serious issue to be name worst topic.  And it’s one that for many of us only bubbled up in the last couple months.  That’s the Stop Online Piracy Act or SOPA, a piece of legislation that will be considered by our Congress in January of this coming year.

In my initial piece of SOPA I noted that I have no particular problem with the underlying concept.  Online piracy is a real problem.  Creators of content whether it’s music or writing or video or any of the other items that are being pirated have a right to control what they control.  And to choose to try and make a profit from it if they want.  The idea that the consumer should be able to get whatever they want for free is childish and a great way to insure that fewer creators will spend the time to make the really good stuff.

But even a casual reading of the SOPA legislation shows that it’s just badly constructed.  For example if I put a link to some copywritten content.  Not the actual content, just a link.  Under SOPA I can be charged with a felony.  A felony.  I haven’t taken anything or given it away.  It could just be a link to a photograph or video that I didn’t even realize was being illegally copied.  Doesn’t matter.  The Phlipside is looking at being shut down online and charged with a felony.

Too many of the old media want Congress to hand them a legal hammer to allow them censorship rights far beyond what they need to protect their legitimate rights.  And that’s not just a bad idea.  I think it’s the worst idea of 2011 that’s headed into 2012.

Here’s to the New Year.  Let’s do it without SOPA.

Call that the View From the Phlipside