The evolution of video production is bound with that of the internet, and both are the subject of wild debate across the globe of late. Still the most popular, effective and versatile tool used to reach out to other users, the internet has democratised the way in which we think, speak and act. Now, the time has come. US Congress will decide upon two pieces of legislation which, experts say, not only have a large potential to cripple the internet, but do not even protect the entertainment industry from the targets of the legislation in the first place.

Piracy is most certainly a grave, global problem for filmmakers and musicians alike, and nobody is questioning the need to tackle it. But one can’t help but feel a niggling sense of frustration at the thought of censoring the internet to achieve this end. This would surely descend into collective wroth if the internet is to be contorted beyond recognition, only to find that piracy is still rife within its waters.  

Video producers around the world have been flexing their creative muscle in protest, along with noble blackout gestures from sites like Wikipedia and Wired. The below video is the best of the bunch, and I feel it only appropriate to end by citing a founding father of the country which is the nebula of this world-wide debate right now, because these bills could prove to be just as corrosive to the constitution as they are to the internet.

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."– Benjamin Franklin

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.