Microsoft, Apple and 27 other tech companies backing SOPA indirectly

Notice that the supporters are software companies and the opposed are Internet companies. Here is a theory I proposed yesterday[1]:<p><i>Microsoft makes the vast majority of their money selling licenses. So does the entertainment industry.</i><p><i>For years these industries (software, music, and video) grew to massive size by exploiting cheap duplication of digital goods and control over distribution channels. Now that further advancing technology has brought duplication and distribution to the masses they are franticly trying to regain control.</i><p><i>The opposing tech companies sell services and advertising. Copyright infringement largely doesn't affect their bottom-line and these proposed measures will be costly for them to implement and legally difficult for them to follow.</i><p>Google's lawyers bringing up the Wikileaks payment processor embargo as a preferred solution also supports this position. Google (and other Internet companies) aren't really trying to protect free speech or other perceived rights, they are merely trying to protect their own interests.<p>1: <a href="http://news.ycombinator.org/item?id=3246019" rel="nofollow">http://news.ycombinator.org/item?id=3246019</a>

It was very conspicuous yesterday that Apple &#38; Microsoft did not show up on the anti-SOPA NYTimes ad:<p><a href="http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/google-facebook-twitter-and-others-speak-out-against-the-stop/" rel="nofollow">http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/16/google-facebook-twitter-a...</a>

Based on Google's congressional testimony yesterday, it sounds like even they are willing to support the bill as long as it's changed so that Google themselves aren't affected.

There's no story here.<p>The alternative to "supporting SOPA in virtue of membership in the BSA" is "leaving the BSA over the BSA generally lobbying government to enforce copyright protections." That's kind of the point of the organization.<p>If you don't expect AutoDesk and MathWorks and SolidWorks to leave the BSA just to avoid this kind of second-rate muckraker reporting, then ignore the fact that Microsoft, CA, and Apple didn't leave either.

Here's the Influence Explorer profile of the BSA:<p><a href="http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/business-software-alliance/46874d0b98b747209ab536d1b2823e98" rel="nofollow">http://influenceexplorer.com/organization/business-software-...</a>

I apologize if this is covered in the article, but I could not find it. Does anybody know when the vote on SOPA happens ? How long afterwords until they start prosecutions and shutdowns ?

Why is Apple still a member of the BSA? They might as well pull out. They aren't in the business of selling costly software licenses - they give most of their software away, ostensibly to drive hardware sales. But it seems to me there's little that BSA does that dovetails in their interest.

Finally a list you can use as a computer science graduate to know for which companies you are absolutely not going to work.

This is pretty simple. If you work for one of those companies, quit.

Disclaimer: I am whole heartedly against SOPA<p>That being said I think that it is important to raise the level of discourse on this issue in the community and I do not think that this article does much to that end:<p><pre><code> "We can, however, show that it does. And somewhat disingenuously, if I may." </code></pre> Since when does membership/support of business alliances and/or lobbyists count as disingenious? I do not think you will see any veteran reporters on the hill write that being a member of the BSA equates with any disingenious activity; the fact that microsoft is a member is public knowledge.

I am really worried for the future of the internet.

<p><pre><code> Yeah, how about that. In short, Microsoft is using a front group to throw its support behind SOPA, while publicly saying and doing nothing, thus avoiding our rancor and displeasure. Well, no, that won’t do at all. </code></pre> Note that the article provides no support whatsoever for the claim that BSA is a Microsoft front group, or that Microsoft is using it to intentionally support SOPA.<p>I'm surprised this hasn't been flagged to death. Are people not actually reading the article?

I can't help but wonder if this couldn't be made into an opportunity for those of us who oppose SOPA.<p>All of the companies in the BSA are big/high value. Nevertheless, my gut tells me that some of the companies on that list are not ones that would be ready to face the limelight of an organized protest. Real or virtual. As such, targeting a few of the more vulnerable companies on that list could make them publicly distance themselves from the legislation, if not outright oppose it.

I was on the fence about whether being a BSA member was enough to make one complicit in support of SOPA. But I think I've been swayed...BSA's support of SOPA would add a huge weight of legitimacy to the pro SOPA supporters. It's disturbing to say the least.

This link is tenuous at best. Being a member of BSA does not mean that the BSA dictates policy for these companies. (BSA is a non profit that comes under criticism for their rather obscure 'piracy' estimates.)<p>It's like saying google support SOPA because they do business with the RIAA.

BSA membership is smaller than I would've guessed, eg HP, IBM, Oracle, and SAP aren't members. Good for them.<p>Why are Dell and Intel members? None of their direct competitors are.

The membership of this group is basically a list of businesses that startups should be chipping away at. Let them spend their time lobbying, while you sneak up behind them and whack them on the head with your niche webapp.<p>--<p>Adobe<p>Apple<p>Autodesk<p>AVEVA<p>AVG<p>Bentley Systems<p>CA<p>Cadence Design Systems<p>CNC Software – Mastercam<p>Compuware<p>Corel<p>Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corporation<p>Dell<p>Intel<p>Intuit<p>Kaspersky<p>McAfee<p>Microsoft<p>Minitab<p>Progress Software<p>PTC<p>Quark<p>Quest<p>Rosetta Stone<p>Siemens PLM Software, Inc.<p>Sybase<p>Symantec<p>TechSmith<p>The MathWorks

Over 100 comments here and most everyone seems surprised? The reporting in that article was complete crap. I don't like Microsoft but I don't see any evidence in this article for the claim that the BSA is a front for MS. That bit was recycled from a claim Some years ago in Uruguay which also doesn't totally make it clear that the BSA is a front.<p>Aside from the writer's total desperate reaching for a real story, let's all remember this is the BSA. the BSA has been independently campaigning to stop piracy by all means necessary for years now. How is this any shock at all that now they'd support SOPA? It's not Google supporting it, it's big ass software companies! Come on!<p>So you mention Apple in the title and we're all supposed to be shocked and horrified? We're supposed to be shocked that the company that just had record breaking profits is going to support a piece of legislation that is total dog shit for everyone but huge copyright holders?<p>Come on now. Let's cut the crap and be real. This is a non story. SOPA sucks, I love Apple, I'm still not moved. Waste of time to read.

It's no coincidence that most of the companies on that list sell mediocre software for way more than it's worth. They rob us with their high prices, yet they throw a tantrum when we rob them back. Make your software suck less and maybe I'll consider paying for it.