[Link] SOPA, PIPA postponed: Nice work, everyone

By Zack Whittaker

Summary: Both SOPA and PIPA have been shelved, and “no further action” will be taken until a general consensus has been made, and compromises sought.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), and the PROTECT-IP Act, known as PIPA, have both been postponed from being voted on in the House and Senate respectively.

Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX), the author of SOPA, said today that he will postpone any further action on the bill until compromises were reached.

Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) said in a tweet that “in light of recent events”, he has, “decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote” on the PIPA bill.

An impending vote on SOPA triggered widespread protests leaving hundreds of millions of Web users without access to their favourite sites.

Continue the full article: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/sopa-pipa-postponed-nice-work-everyone/67622

[Link] Obama Says So Long SOPA, Killing Controversial Internet Piracy Legislation

The growing anti-SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) support that has swept through the gaming and Internet community found a very big ally today. With websites like Reddit and Wikipedia and gaming organizations like Major League Gaming prepared for a blackout on January 18th – the same day that the House Judiciary Committee hearing on HR 3261was scheduled in Washington, DC – President Barack Obama has stepped in and said he would not support the bill. SOPA has been killed, for now.

Much to the chagrin of Hollywood, the Entertainment Software Association (which has been a backer of the bill from early on), and Internet domain company GoDaddy.com (which lost many accounts as a result of its support for the bill); SOPA has been shelved. The Motion Picture Association of America, one of the bill’s largest sponsors, is expected to regroup.

To continue reading: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johngaudiosi/2012/01/16/obama-says-so-long-sopa-killing-controversial-internet-piracy-legislation/