I wrote this to my home town newspaper January 19, 2012. I’ll let you know if they print it.
To the editor:
Many of your readers will remember that in 2008-2009 I was sued for $2 million by the Microsoft Corporation and you ran it as a banner headline above the fold. When I won the case you ran it on page three near the bottom.
I have since written a book to be published soon and opened a website and blog www.againstgoliath.com that I hope you and your readers will read from time to time.
But I am writing today about the SOPA and PIPA laws before our broken United States Congress. Fairness will never play a part in whether or not these laws will pass, but I can tell you from bitter experience that the One Percent with power in this country, those I call Goliath, do not need more teeth to exploit and destroy the little guy with a web site.
It took a year before Microsoft even had to show that I had broken any copyright law after accusing me. When they couldn’t show such a thing ever happened they decided to try to settle. All the details are on my web site. With our systems of nonsensical laws no one ever needs to show wrong doing before accusing publicly and in print. And they never have to answer for their clearly wrong and harmful actions.
What SOPA and PIPA give them is the ability to put people out of business while the courts decide whether or not any law has been broken. We all know that can take decades.
And all of ourConnecticutmembers of Congress are probably in favor of these stupid, redundant, and anti – First Amendment laws. According to watchdog web sites they have all received significant contributions from Goliaths who want these new laws. Blumenthal, Lieberman and Larson are co-sponsors of the bills and have received millions in contributions for their sponsorship. The rest are in question, but they too have received millions from pro-Goliath groups.
Without your interest or help we will see many big changes in how you use the internet. I left email with all my Congress people and spoke with a representative of Chris Murphy’s office and gave him an earful. Murphy was the only member of Congress available. He received $900k in contributions from SOPA and PIPA supporters and $150k from anti censorship groups according to the watchdogs. How do you think he will vote?
Copyright Kent Johnson 2012
