Some of you may remember a little column I did about a month ago that dealt with the vast amounts of information that can be accessed by browsing the World Wide Web.

Now, I’m returning to the same subject but under much more dire circumstances. I’m talking about the Stop Online Piracy Act, which would grant the Department of Justice the right to get court orders against websites that are accused of “enabling or facilitating copyright infringement.”

I’m sure many would argue that there are issues more worthy of our time. With two wars, a struggling (that might be putting it mildly) economy, and millions of protesters across the country forming one voice against greed and corruption, online piracy and the steps being taken to prevent it seem like minuscule issues.

However, I urge everyone to consider the ramifications both short and long-term.

First of all, the proposed bill (H.R.3261) builds on the PRO-IP Act of 2008, but with much broader parameters when focusing on which websites can be targeted. That means that even if a website is innocent of piracy (or any promotion of) the DOJ can block the site, bar it from search engines and prevent it from doing any business online.