Earlier this year, two bills that would've curbed privacy in the US were killed following a campaign by some big names on the internet (Google, Wikipedia, dozens of others) and a tidal wave of popular opposition. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA), would have deputizes internet service providers and search engines in blocking websites that would host infringing content.  This week, the Japanese legislature took a different tack in fighting piracy, passing an amendment to the country's copyright law which will result in penalties including jail time for illegal downloaders.