Mastercard Pulling the Plug on Pirate Sites

News Article: MasterCard willing to cut off pirate sites.

MasterCard, is willing to stop processing transactions from sites trafficking in pirated music, movies, games, and other digital copyrighted content. Lobbyists working for MasterCard have told trade groups from the entertainment sector that the credit card company is supportive of The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act, an antipiracy bill introduced into the Senate last September, sources with knowledge of the talks tell CNET.

Backed by Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and committee member Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah), the bill would authorize the Department of Justice to shut down domain names of U.S.-based Web sites judged to be dealing in pirated content and also have the power to order Internet service providers, payment processors, and online ad networks in the United States to cease doing business with overseas pirates sites.

Opponents of the law say it will give the government sweeping powers to censor U.S. citizens. Representatives from MasterCard, Visa, and American Express did not respond to interview requests.

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So on who's say-so does this shutdown action get taken on a site? don't get me wrong, I am all for stopping the piracy, but it worries me that this "power" could step onto some legitimate toes.

I don't know any openly illegal "US Based" websites that accept mastercard, so I have no idea how this will affect anything???

I think many are neglecting the primary questions proposals like this raise.

Several companies followed government instruction and removed service to WikiLeaks, yet I never saw any news discussing the entanglement of government and business.
Several of those companies provide services to homophobic, racist and downright nasty groups, and yet they suddenly chose to take a moral stance on WikiLeaks without any government pressure? Yeah, right.

Definition of Fascism: "Fascism, is a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to organize a nation on corporatist perspectives; values; and systems such as the political system and the economy. "

We have governments controlling business decisions. Governments bailing out their banking buddies (in a true capitalist system this is anathema to the very principles of it). Lobbyists and special interest groups using their financial clout to manipulate elections and the policies of the resulting leadership.

Giving any government increased powers over the internet - especially for something so minor in the grand scheme of things - is probably the worst thing any nation could do in 2011.

I'm on the side of those who are suspicious of the motives. This is NOT about piracy, this is about controlling something that they cannot yet control.
And, in my opinion, it's yet another warning sign that when you mix big business with government, you risk creating a fascist regime with the veneer of democracy.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

It will have an effect until MC realizes how much they are losing and then start processing again for them.