Two Firefox add-ons already bypass SOPA's domain censorship

As resistance grows against the Stop Online Piracy Act, some activists are getting creative. If passed, the legislation would allow US Internet service providers to block access to offending domain names at the behest of Hollywood -- that's the gist of it, anyway. Two new browser extensions demonstrate how this process can be automatically circumvented, making SOPA-like regulations an exercise in futility.

First up, "DeSopa" allows Firefox users to click a button and resolve a blocked domain through foreign DNS servers, sidestepping domestic restrictions. DeSopa can't currently resolve subdomains and it can only resolve one tab at a time along with other limitations, but developer Tamer Rizk hopes his add-on will prove to Congress that will "help them err on the side of reason and vote SOPA down."

A group known as MAFIAAFire has created a similar extension called "The Pirate Bay Dancing" (aplay on the film Dirty Dancing). The plugin automatically routes your website request through a random proxy, again bypassing your ISP's blockade. An earlier version of this add-on was released in April after the US Department of Justice along with Immigration and Customs seized domain names.

"This is just a start, now that we have opened this can of worms people can expect many add-ons, extensions and plug-ins from us," the group told TorrentFreak at the time. "Our goal is to reverse governments attempts to censor the Internet, and nearly anything the anti-piracy people put up to protect their dinosaur business models." "We really are tired of the corruption...Enough is enough."

It seems that passion still burns strong. "DNS and IP blocking is probably the most dangerous part of SOPA/PIPA in terms of 'breaking the Internet,' so we tackled that first. We will be going after the other parts of SOPA in later releases but probably not in 'our usual plugin form' -- the other parts require different solutions that we have already started work on," MAFIAAFire said late last month.

The group described Internet censorship as an overwhelming game of whack-a-mole, and that's proven accurate thus far. SOPA has been outwitted on many levels before even becoming law. More than being a technological proof of concept, the add-ons have given "good guys" an opportunity to flex a little muscle. The US demanded that Mozilla remove the MAFIAAFire add-on in May. It refused.

After two days of heated debates, the House Judiciary Committee adjourned its markup session on SOPA until after Congress' winter recess (despite attempts by committee chairman Lamar Smith toreconvene this week). When discussions resume 2012, Congress is expected to enlist the aid of some experts, as few members have a firm understanding of the technology they're trying to regulate.

Australia bans Syndicate reboot, EA calls it 'arcane censorship'

EA's Syndicate reboot is poised for release in the coming months, but Australians with a lust for digital carnage will have to get their fix elsewhere. The nation's Classification Board has banned the game by refusing to issue an approved rating. Australia's current video game classification system currently peaks at "MA15+," which is roughly equivalent to the ESRB's "Teen" rating and includes content unsuitable for minors under 15.

After a decade on its agenda, the country has finally approved (PDF) an "R18+" classification, permitting more violence, sexual activity, profanity, drug use, and nudity. Unfortunately for EA and Starbreeze, the new guidelines won't be implemented until sometime in 2012 -- a timeframe that conflicts with the launch date of Syndicate. In the meantime, the first-person shooter has been deemed "unsuitable for a minor to see or play."

Set in a dystopian 2069, the game borrows many themes from Deus Ex: Human Revolution, including biomechanical augmentations that provide superhuman abilities. Players control Kilo, a prototype agent of EuroCorp, one of many ruthless "syndicates" who are vying for control of market dominance. As part of that ongoing struggle, players are tasked with many dirty deeds -- namely, slaying countless foes and extracting chip implants from their brains.

"In order to complete the missions, a player has to engage in intense combat with swarms of enemy combatants who are clad in light armor. A variety of weapons [are] available and these often cause decapitation, dismemberment and gibbing during frenetic gunfights," the Australian board explained (PDF). "Combatants take locational damage and can be explicitly dismembered, decapitated, or bisected by the force of gunfire."

The report cites realistic depictions of "copious bloodspray and injuries" as well as the ability to desecrate corpses. "For example, it is possible for a player to decapitate a corpse with a headshot before individually blowing off each of its limbs. Depending on the weapon used, it is also possible to bisect a corpse, with realistic ragdoll effects," the board said, noting that players can also target unarmed civilians throughout the game.

Australia reached a similar conclusion when it reviewed Left 4 Dead 2 in 2009. Fallout 3, Manhunt, Mortal Kombat and many others have also faced opposition, but they are often approved after making changes. It seems EA has no such plans, however, telling Joystiq that it simply won't offer the game in Australia, despite enthusiasm from fans. That could change if the R18+ rating is approved, but EA isn't holding its breath.

"We were encouraged by the government's recent agreement to adopt an 18+ age rating for games. However, delays continue to force an arcane censorship on games -- cuts that would never be imposed on books or movies," the publisher said. "We urge policy makers to take swift action to implement an updated policy that reflects today's market and gives its millions of adult consumers the right to make their own content choices."

GoDaddy loses over 37,000 domains due to SOPA stance

It's been a hell of a Christmas weekend for GoDaddy. The hosting and domain registrar company lost more than 37,000 domains in the past couple of days due to its shaky stance on the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act. According to information reported by The Domains, over 15,000 domains were transferred off Thursday and another 21,054 on Friday, despite GoDaddy's attempt to control damage by withdrawing its support to SOPA.

The backlash against GoDaddy kicked off after the company appeared on an official list of companies supporting SOPA, a proposed bill that would allow the U.S. Department of Justice and copyright holders to block access to sites accused of infringing copyright, and stop payment processors and online advertising networks from doing business with them -- all without due process.

The idea of a domain registrar supporting DNS blocking legislation to serve the interests of overzealous copyright owners and media companies prompted Internet users to stage a widespread boycott, declaring December 29 "move your domain day." GoDaddy initially dismissed the move as having little impact on their business, but was later scrambling to let everyone know it no longer supports SOPA legislation.

In a recent statement, Warren Adelman, the company's newly appointed CEO said: "Fighting online piracy is of the utmost importance, which is why Go Daddy has been working to help craft revisions to this legislation – but we can clearly do better. [...] It’s very important that all Internet stakeholders work together on this. Getting it right is worth the wait. Go Daddy will support it when and if the Internet community supports it."

Despite the reversal, the company is not taking an active stance against the bill either, which may have prompted many to carry on moving their business elsewhere. High profile customers threatening to move away from GoDaddy include Wikipedia cofounder Jimmy Wales, and the CEO of the Cheezburger family of humor websites, Ben Huh. It's unclear if they carried on with their plans after GoDaddy's change of heart.

Go Daddy and its General Counsel, Christine Jones, have worked with federal lawmakers for months to help craft revisions to legislation first introduced some three years ago, and have said the company would support DNS blocking as a way to strike at foreign websites that infringe U.S. copyrights. As of Friday, Jones has removed posts at GoDaddy.com describing the company's support of provisions in SOPA.