Don’t ever let anyone tell you there isn’t power in the protest. Members of the U.S. Congress have abandoned the controversial Stop Online Privacy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) in the wake of Wednesday’s Internet blackout TAGS: censorship, Facebook, Google, online piracy, PIPA, politics, Reddit, SOPA, Wikipedia 
Since you’re on the Internet right now, you’ve undoubtedly at least heard of the SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) bills. SOPA and PIPA aim to curb online piracy of copyrighted material but have been widely criticized for their potential to negatively impact the Internet and American business through censorship.
On Wednesday, January 18, major websites, including Google, Reddit and Wikipedia decided to completely blackout or modify their homepages in protest of SOPA and PIPA, and it appears that members of the U.S. Congress have taken notice and been moved to abandon the bills.
Arizona Rep. and SOPA co-sponsor Ben Quayle abandoned the bill Tuesday, but two U.S. Senators actually announced their withdrawals by way of the Internet Wednesday morning.
Florida Senator and PIPA co-sponsor Marco Rubio was the first to announce on Wednesday that he wanted to pull his name from the bill.
In a Facebook post titled “A Better Way to Fight the Online Theft of American Ideas and Jobs,” Rubio wrote:
“As a senator from Florida, a state with a large presence of artists, creators and businesses connected to the creation of intellectual property, I have a strong interest in stopping online piracy that costs Florida jobs.
However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies.”
Rubio was followed by Texas Senator John Cornyn, head of the campaign operation for the Republican party. Cornyn took to his Facebook page to say that it’s “better to get this done right rather than fast and wrong. Stealing content is theft, plain and simple, but concerns about unintended damage to the internet and innovation in the tech sector require a more thoughtful balance, which will take more time.”
According to the Omaha World-Herald, a spokesperson for Nebraska Rep. Lee Terry said that he is also planning to withdraw his support.
Both bills have gathered support from various bipartisan committees and media companies, but the Obama Administration has spoken out against SOPA and several Internet companies, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs have written to the U.S. Congress to express concern about SOPA and PIPA’s threat to innovation, creativity and American job creation.
For more information about PIPA and SOPA, take a look at the following links:
Photo via New York Times
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