Internet lúdica

Son tiempos extraños para Internet, sumergida mundialmente en un proceso de legislación que parece ir con retraso respecto los usos ya establecidos.

La piratería existe también en el campo de los juegos de mesa. Pero por el momento Internet no es el problema central y curiosamente los mayores actos de piratería vienen del lado editorial (juegos publicados sin acreditar, copias ilícitas de juegos famosos, etc.).

Mientras en España se ha aprobado recientemente la Ley de Economía Sostenible, otros países tienen ya normas similares. La Union Europea está trabajando en un proyecto de Acuerdo Comercial Anti-falsificación o ACTA (Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement). Estados Unidos está tramitando legislación denominada Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) y Protect IP Act (PIPA).

Desde la página Boardgamegeek (BGG), la principal base de datos electrónica sobre juegos de mesa en inglés y una de las webs más importantes del mundo, sus editores han manifestado hoy su preocupación ante como las nuevas leyes pueden afectar a sus contenidos:

No, the site hasn't really been taken down. If you thought it had been and that scared you, then you understand how we feel about the potential consequences of the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect IP Act (PIPA) legislation that are currently being considered by the US Congress.

Normally we avoid getting involved in anything having to do with politics, however SOPA and PIPA each represent legislation that could have a direct and dramatic impact on this site, and many others like it across the internet. The bills expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to protect copyrighted intellectual property. Generally speaking, that's a cause we support. We are not in favor of online piracy.

However the language of the bills is so broad and poorly defined that it potentially criminalizes activities that are currently legal and important for sites like ours. For example, as we don't have the manpower to oversee every single thing that is posted to the site, SOPA and PIPA could force us to take preventive measures by removing essential features like Images and Videos. The bills would likely also adversely affect the Links, Files, and even the forums on the site.

Please take some time to learn more about SOPA and PIPA, and if you feel strongly about it like we do, please also contact your representatives in Congress to let them know how you feel.