At FAM/FAZ we're not usually inclined to comment on politics as they are a typical touch off for flame wars and trolling. But there is legislation currently under consideration by the United States Congress that gives us serious concern.

Called the "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) in the House of Representatives and the "PROTECT IP Act" (PIPA) in the Senate, these bills are a misguided attempt to curb the illegal piracy of copyrighted content (like movies, music and games). Preventing piracy of copyrighted content is a laudable goal, and we support legitimate efforts to combat these activities and protect content creators (like us).

However, SOPA/PIPA goes far beyond simply addressing piracy. This proposed legislation actually threatens any website that features user-generated content. In effect, any copyright holder could file a claim that a website is hosting unauthorized content (such as a copyright name or piece of art). Under ...