Unacceptable: Toyota/Subaru among group of auto manufacturers supporting SOPA.

[tranzformer]

Originally Posted by Mitch

Source: Jalopnik

The Auto Alliance trade group comprises of the following:

• BMW Group (BMW, Mini, Rolls Royce)
• Chrysler Group (Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep)
• Ford Motor Company (Ford,Lincoln)
• General Motors (Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, GMC)
• Jaguar Land Rover
• Mazda
• Mercedes-Benz USA (Mercedes Benz, SMART, Maybach)
• Mitsubishi
• Porsche
  
• Toyota (Toyota, Scion, Lexus, Subaru)
• Volkswagen (Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley)
• Volvo

This group has thrown its support being SOPA, or the Stop Online Piracy Act. Wording in this bill would put the enthusiast community abroad, from automotive news blogs to forums like our own, on a knife's edge where a single copyrighted image or link to copyrighted material without the copyright holder's consent puts the entire website at risk for being shut down without notice or immediate review.

Stop Toyota and Subaru from killing us. Please contact Toyota NA and Subaru NA immediately to let them know how this bill affects you and your decisions to purchase from them.

If Toyota / Subaru continue their support of this bill, I doubt I will be purchasing any of their upcoming products. I would much rather spend my money on a new or used product from a competitor who doesn't actively attempt to kill the online community of enthusiasts who love their products.

At this moment I am NOT "Proud of Boxer".

I am curious why they put Subaru under Toyota as it isn't really a brand/division of Toyota like Chevy/Buick/GMC are of General Motors. Is it only cause Toyota owns a percentage of Subaru? Is it cause of the partnership? Did Subaru them selves also support SOPA on their own, or is it just due to association with Toyota?

[Slide]

Originally Posted by tranzformer

I am curious why they put Subaru under Toyota as it isn't really a brand/division of Toyota like Chevy/Buick/GMC are of General Motors. Is it only cause Toyota owns a percentage of Subaru? Is it cause of the partnership? Did Subaru them selves also support SOPA on their own, or is it just due to association with Toyota?

Yes I think it is cause Toyota own the majority share.

[Longhorn248]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

Honda & Suzuki too

Btw when they gonna vote on this SOPA thing?

They haven't voted yet. Right now there's rumors going around that Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, and Twitter are organizing a black out day. All those companies will shut down their sites in order to protest SOPA and hopefully get people to open up their eyes to what the government is trying to do.

[Spaceywilly]

Originally Posted by 2fast4you

A great example would be this very site: had a law similar to SOPA been in effect in 2008, the 86/FR-S/BRZ would not exist. Blogs wouldn't speak of it, social media wouldn't say a peep, and "fan-sites" such as this wouldn't exist. There would be no buzz, and thus, there would be no car. FWIW I believe the 86/FR-S/BRZ is the only other major product besides the iPhone to have this much hype surrounding it for this length of time (about 4 years now). Apple built interest in the iPhone through rumors, half-truths, and strategic leaks to various blogs and through social media. If AS1 launch is a success, you'll see that list of auto manufacturers shrink; if they actually read the bill rather than rely on their lobby group, they'll reconsider their support as other major corporations have.

Lots of countries already have laws like sopa. They used it to block the pirate bay in many countries. The ft86 and this website still exist in those countries. I don't support sopa (it's a clear violation of the first amendment and wouldn't hold up in court anyways) but people are overreacting to it. The law is aimed at sites like the pirate bay and is not going to "destroy the Internet," but they need to make the law more specific so it can't be used that way. They also need to find a way to enforce it which is impossible due to the open nature of the Internet, so the whole thing is really just a waste of time.

[tranzformer]

Originally Posted by Slide

Yes I think it is cause Toyota own the majority share.

I don't think it is majority share; wouldn't it rather be classified largest singly-held share? Majority would dictate 51%. Toyota owns how much, like 17%?

[tranzformer]

Originally Posted by Spaceywilly

Lots of countries already have laws like sopa. They used it to block the pirate bay in many countries. The ft86 and this website still exist in those countries. I don't support sopa (it's a clear violation of the first amendment and wouldn't hold up in court anyways) but people are overreacting to it.

But how am I suppose to watch Top Gear UK if I can't use a torrent!

[Dark]

Originally Posted by tranzformer

I don't think it is majority share; wouldn't it rather be classified largest singly-held share? Majority would dictate 51%. Toyota owns how much, like 17%?

Edit: 17% share that Toyota hold is the biggest single share of FHI(typo).
(thanks ryude for a head up.)

[tranzformer]

Originally Posted by Dark

17% share that Toyota hold is the biggest single share of HFI.

Correct, largest single share of HFI. But still not majority held. 51%= majority.

[Dark]

But as long as no combined share larger than the one Toyota hold, they are making decision.

[ichitaka05]

Originally Posted by Longhorn248

They haven't voted yet. Right now there's rumors going around that Google, Facebook, Wikipedia, and Twitter are organizing a black out day. All those companies will shut down their sites in order to protest SOPA and hopefully get people to open up their eyes to what the government is trying to do.

Thanks for the info

[Spaceywilly]

Originally Posted by tranzformer

But how am I suppose to watch Top Gear UK if I can't use a torrent!

That's the thing, every time they shut down a torrent site a new one will pop up. Instead of going after the torrent sites they should just find a way to provide the movies, shows, and music in a better way that still allows the content creators to get paid (they can start by firing all the lawyers). Their approach of trying to sue everyone and everything is never going to have any effect.

[ryude]

FHI = Fuji Heavy Industries

[2fast4you]

Originally Posted by Spaceywilly

Lots of countries already have laws like sopa. They used it to block the pirate bay in many countries. The ft86 and this website still exist in those countries.

Judging from the mass about-face and statements from Microsoft and others, I'd gather the bill is poorly written to not take into account now common forms of communication. Remember, this is being debated and voted upon by people that still call it "the internets" that have assistants to check their electronic mail.

That said, I doubt it will get any traction between threats of bi-monthly government shut downs and hearings over recess appointments. Oh... and that pesky election.

[tranzformer]

Originally Posted by Dark

But as long as no combined share larger than the one Toyota hold, they are making decision.

For controlling interest in a company it would normally be 50% + 1.

Someone who owns more than half the shares in a company

http://lexicon.ft.com/Term?term=controlling-shareholder


17% does not give you control of the company as there is 83% of the shares still out there. Also depends on the company if you need a 50% +1 to pass a motion or if you need the super-majority of 2/3rds to back a motion. 17% ≠ majority share holder. It does equal largest single-owned group of shares.


Back on topic, I hope SOPA never gets passed as it is too much government control in our lives.