What I’m trying to ‘get’ is ... yes, there IS a ‘secret court’ for Homeland Security type issues, and I *think* it’s in the DC Circuit. But in those cases I don’t think a lawyer can send someone down to the courthouse to look up the docket (all of which is online in most federal court cases).
The United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (or FISC) is a U.S. federal court authorized under 50 U.S.C. § 1803, Pub.L. 95-511, 92 Stat. 1788, enacted October 25, 1978. It was established by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA).
.THIS IS A BIPARTISAN THRUST FOR FASCISM. DO NOT BLAME OBAMA. THE MAIN PROPONENT AND BILL SPONSOR OF THIS CORPORATIST FASCISM IS REP. LAMAR SMITH, REPUBLICAN OUT OF TEXAS>
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Traditional big media firms have contributed more than $5 million to the sponsors of the Stop Online Piracy Act, with California Democratic Reps. Howard Berman and Adam Schiff as the top recipients.
The bill, known as SOPA, would strengthen and extend the penalties for online copyright violations, and could force websites hosting pirated content to come down or prevent search engines from sending users their way. Legacy media companies stand to benefit if there's less unlawful movement of their content on the web, like pirated movies and songs for download.
Some of the nation's top tech companies — Facebook, Google and Microsoft, among others — have spoken out against the bill while media companies have pushed to defend it. SOPA's companion legislation in the Senate, the PROTECT IP Act, is on hold.
Earlier this month we noted that Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, the bill's sponsor in the House, has received nearly $400,000 from the TV, music and movies industry during his career, including some recent timely donations from broadcasting and television groups that are lobbying for the bill.
Among the 25 SOPA cosponsors from both sides of the aisle, here's a breakdown of which legislators have brought in donations from big media in TV, music and movies during their careers in Congress.
The nearly 40 cosponsors of the Protect IP Act, SOPA's partner legislation in the Senate, have received more than $13.5 million from the TV, music and movies industry since entering Congress. Here's a rundown:
Many groups have lobbied for the PROTECT IP Act, including several that employ lobbyists who have worked for the members of Congress who have signed on to the legislation. Among them:
Amazon spent $450,000 on lobbying during the third quarter, some of which was pushing against this bill. Google Inc. also spent some of its $80,000 in third quarter lobbying on fighting this measure, as did Intel, which spent nearly $1 million lobbying in Q3.
SOPA was introduced at the end of October, so lobbying on that bill will show up on fourth quarter lobbying disclosure forms.