PIPA, SOPA postponed amid major protests

PanARMENIAN.Net - Senate and House leaders announced Friday, January 20 they are postponing work on two controversial anti-piracy bills in the wake of large online protests that spurred several congressmen to rethink the legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced that he is postponing Tuesday's procedural vote on the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Meanwhile, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith said his committee is postponing consideration of PIPA's House companion, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), "until there is wider agreement on a solution."

PIPA and SOPA are intended to strengthen protections against copyright infringement and intellectual property theft, but Internet advocates say they would stifle expression on the World Wide Web. CBS Corporation is among the media and entertainment companies that support the legislation.

In protest of the legislation, major sites like Wikipedia and Reddit participated in a 24-hour "Internet blackout" on Wednesday, while other sites like Google took less drastic steps to signify their opposition to the legislation. The protests inspired voters to deluge their congressmen with phone calls and emails in protest of the bills as well, and by Wednesday afternoon, several congressmen either came out in opposition to the bills or said Congress should take more time to reconsider them.

Opponents of SOPA and PIPA object to the bill in part because they argue it would impose a huge, unmanageable burden on Internet companies to police their sites for connections to copyright or intellectual property infringers. Start ups in particular would not be able to handle the legal costs involved, and it could quash innovation in the Internet industry.