What's On The Blacklist? Three Sites That SOPA Could Put at Risk

Proponents of the latest disastrous IP bill, the "Stop Online Piracy Act" (SOPA) insist it only targets the "worst of the worst:" so-called "rogue" foreign websites that profit from pirating U.S. intellectual property. But the broad definitions and vague language in the bill could place dangerous tools into the hands of IP rightsholders, with little opportunity for judicial oversight. One very possible outcome: many of the lawful sites you know and love will face new legal threats.

As we've explained Section 103 of the bill sets up a so-called "market-based system" which would allow individuals and companies to cut off financial support from websites — both foreign and domestic — simply by sending a notice to their payment providers or ad networks. In many cases, these sites are dependent on the revenue from those payments and ad networks for day-to-day operation.

Here's a look at how some real, popular, and important sites could be affected by this legislation if it passes. We've even included a sample notice showing how IP rightsholders might target regular sites. To be clear: we don't believe that the way these websites operate is or should be subject to legal threat — that's one reason it's so important to block SOPA from becoming law...