News Broadcast Explains Threatened California Amazon Sales Tax

Here's a local TV broadcast, which sheds more light on California's impending sales tax on internet sales:

Wal-Mart Behind California "Amazon Sales Tax" -- But Prop 26 May Block It

Previously we reported that California is threatening to destroy Amazon affiliated business with an internet sales tax.

It now seems that giant "bricks & mortar" retailer Wal-Mart is behind this tax attempt, hoping to hurt its "online only" competitors.

But good news: One analyst suggests that California's recently passed Proposition 26 imposes a 2/3 super-majority requirement in the state legislature for this tax to pass. This would require Republican votes, which might not happen.

Califorina Internet Tax Threatens Amazon.com Associates

The California state legislature is threatening the livelihoods of over 10,000 Californians who earn money as Amazon Associates for online retailer, Amazon.com.

These Californians place links on their websites to Amazon. When someone clicks through to Amazon and makes a purchase, the Associate earns a commission.

Amazon is not required to collect sales taxes on purchases made to Californians because there is no "business nexus." But now California is considering a law to classify Amazon Associates as a "business nexus".

Other states have done likewise. In all such instances, Amazon ended its Associates program rather than be forced to collect the sales tax. Amazon has even ended its Associates program in big states such as New York and Illinois.

History shows Amazon is not bluffing. If California declares Amazon Associates a “business nexus,” Amazon will end its Associates program in the state.

This will hurt over 10,000 Californians' earnings -- and will lower California's income tax revenue.

This loss in state revenue will not be made up in sales taxes, because by ending the Associates program, Amazon will once more not be required to collect sales taxes.

"Bricks and mortar" retailers complain that Amazon has an "unfair advantage" because online buyers don't pay sales taxes. But they ignore that: 1. their buyers don't pay for shipping, and 2. this legislation will NOT compel Amazon to collect sales taxes -- it will only hurt 10,000 Californians trying to earn money and thus further hurt the state's revenue.

Californians, please contact your state senate and assembly representatives and tell them to oppose any attempt to force Amazon to collect sales taxes, or to declare Amazon's Associates a "business nexus."

Feds Say: Linking to a Site Is Copyright Infringment

From DemandProgress.org:

Ever sent someone a link to a copyrighted YouTube video? Of course: Everybody has. And now the US Government seems to think that means it can put us in prison.

Bryan McCarthy ran a website that linked to various websites where you could watch online streams of TV shows and sports networks. A couple months ago, the government seized his domain name and on Friday they arrested him for criminal copyright infringement.

Tell the government that this is crazy: There's nothing wrong or illegal about sharing a link.

The government doesn't even allege that McCarthy made a copy of anything! Just that his site linked to various sites with copyrighted material. Under that sort of thinking, everyone who's sent around a link to a copyrighted YouTube video is a criminal.

This is another shocking overreach by the department of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) -- a steamship-era department that's proving once again it doesn't understand the Internet.

We need to push back -- and fast -- before they try to lock up all Americans.
Click here to tell ICE to drop its charges.

Thanks for taking a stand.

-- The Demand Progress team

P.S. We need to convince ICE to back down, and the first step is making sure they know that Americans are watching, and are disgusted by their behavior. Will you help shine light on ICE's abuses by forwarding this to your friends?

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Also read how hypocritical Big Media companies are threatening YOUR copyrights.

Tabloid Witch Winner Shawna Baca Seeks Funding for Ascended Master

2007 Tabloid Witch Award winner Shawna Baca is seeking to raise $20,0000 via Kickstarter.com for her next film, Ascended Master.



This is your chance to invest in a proven filmmaker!

Kickstarter.com is an effective film-fundraising tool. Last year, 2006 Tabloid Witch Award winner Mike Flanagan raised $23,150 via Kickstarter.com -- %154 of his budget!

Tell Facebook, Google to Protect YOUR Online Privacy

From DemandProgress.org:

"Imagine the cops rifling through your mail, your calendar, your receipts. All your private information, available for them to look through. To do this offline, they'd have to get a warrant from a judge and break into your house. But every day the cops -- and anyone else with a good lawyer! -- get access to your online email and calendar just by asking.

"Major online service providers like Gmail and Facebook just hand over your personal data to the police when they get a legal request -- usually without even telling you they've done so! And since you never know about the request, you never get a day in court to challenge it. Your privacy is gone before you even know it.

"Click here to tell Google and Facebook that if they're going to store your private information, they need to promise to keep it private!

"Twitter has just taken a bold stand to protect its users' privacy. When the US Government demanded they turn over information about people affiliated with WikiLeaks, they told the people affected and now they have the chance to challenge the request. But Facebook and Google are refusing to do the same! Sign our petition demanding they -- and other major Internet companies -- adopt sensible privacy protections and stop turning over your personal data to anyone who asks.

Tell Google and Facebook that they need to follow Twitter's lead and protect our privacy. We're meeting with Google NEXT WEEK, and will deliver the petition then.

Thanks for taking a stand.

-- The Demand Progress team

P.S. We're meeting with Google next week, and want to have as many people as possible signed on by then. Could you forward this email to your friends?

KCBS-TV Reporter Serene Branson Breaks Down During Grammy Award Telecast

KCBS-TV news reporter Serene Branson began speaking weirdly during last night's Grammy Awards broadcast. Some think it was an on air stroke, but that's being denied.

KCBS-TV is trying to pull the news clip from the internet (in violation of copyright's Fair Use Doctrine). News organizations like exposing others, not themselves.

Here's a parody (well within Fair Use laws) of the broadcast: