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And The Other Shoe Drops of the Day: Shortly after news broke that the PIPA test vote scheduled for Tuesday was being postponed indefinitely, Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) took to Twitter to announce that voting on the bill’s congressional sibling SOPA was also being postponed.
[@darrellissa.]
PIPA Vote Postponement of the Day: After reports surfaced yesterday that Sen. Harry Reid won’t force Democrats to vote in favor of PIPA, the Senate Majority Leader announced today that he will postpone the vote on the Senate’s anti-piracy bill “in light of recent events.”
“There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved,” Reid said in a statement, adding that it remained necessary to take action against piracy, which costs “the American economy billions of dollars and thousands of jobs each year.”
The test vote on PIPA was originally scheduled for Tuesday.
[tpm.]
Infographic of the Day: According to ProPublica, which is tracking opposition to and support for SOPA and PIPA among members of Congress, yesterday’s blackout managed to persuade many politicians to come out against the Internet killing bills.
As hope-affirming as that is, it’s important to note that support for PIPA remains strong in the Senate, where those in favor of the bill outnumber those opposed by almost 2 to 1.
As mentioned yesterday, another interesting oft-ignored fact is that there is far more support for both bills among Democrats than Republicans. In the Senate, over two-thirds of all supporters are Democrats.
The blackout made a difference, but PIPA could still pass, and a procedural test vote is expected next week. Appreciate the accomplishment, but don’t mistake regrouping for retreat.
[propublica / newsweek.]
PSA of the Day: Megaupload shuttered by the feds! Its employees arrested overseas! Its multimillion-dollar assets seized! Its archenemies brought down by Anonymous! Its CEO… is Alicia Keys husband?!
We’re following the developing drama over at TDW: Geek, and you should too.
[tdwgeek.]
This Is Important, You Should Watch It of the Day: Salman Khan offers the most succinct and straightforward rundown of how the language in SOPA’s current iteration leaves wide open the possibility that, despite its ostensible intention to block foreign sites trafficking in pirated content, completely legal websites operating inside the United States could easily be labeled “enablers” of “U.S. property theft” and subjected to crippling sanctions that would effectively shut them down.
(Worried? Do something.)
[khanacademy.]
Kickass Cover Mashup of the Day: Luc Bergeron AKA Zapatou mashes up 71 covers of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” from all around the world.
A full list of links to the original covers can be found in the video’s description.
(As you’re watching this and enjoying yourself keep in mind that this is the exact sort of thing that PIPA and SOPA seek to prohibit. Politicians are backpeddling in droves, but the fight continues. Take action now.)
[zapatou.]
Animated GIF of the Day: An important reminder from blackout participant The Oatmeal of all the wonderful things at stake in sitting idly by while SOPA/PIPA are allowed to pass.
[oatmeal.]
Anti-Censorship Win of the Day: In a major victory for the Internet, and major blow to its would-be censors, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), co-sponsor of SOPA’s sister bill PIPA, has officially withdrawn his support for the legislation.
“I have been a co-sponsor of the PROTECT IP Act because I believe it’s important to protect American ingenuity, ideas and jobs from being stolen through Internet piracy, much of it occurring overseas through rogue websites in China,” the Senator wrote in a post on his Facebook page. “However, we must do this while simultaneously promoting an open, dynamic Internet environment that is ripe for innovation and promotes new technologies.”
In addition to withdrawing his support out of “concerns about the impact the bill could have on access to the Internet,” Sen. Rubio also urges Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid “to abandon his plan to rush the bill to the floor.”
PIPA is currently slated to be voted on next Tuesday, January 24th.
[facebook / @marcorubio.]
UPDATE: Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO), another PIPA co-sponsor, has withdrawn his support for the bill. Earlier, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), took to Facebook to express reservations over SOPA.
Muay Thai Guy of the Day: Have you ever been so angry that you kicked a banana tree to death?
(Alt: The Internet versus SOPA, illustrated.)
[mirror.]
