Taken from an article at Forbes.com

SOPA and PIPA Start Packing

 The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is unlikely to recover, at least in its present form, from the stomping it took in the maker community (and elsewhere) during Internet Blackout day. The Protect IP Act (PIPA) also received a healthy portion of trampling, too. It is said that this is the largest online protest in history.

Why is stopping SOPA and PIPA important to the makers and do-it-yourself types of the world? The simple explanation is these bills will stifle innovation and would cripple (not to mention frighten) many small businesses.  Today, Joe Citizen is aware and enlightened about what these online piracy bills are about as Google, Facebook, and others created blackout banners and statements of principle. It didn’t look like Facebook would speak up, but Mark Zuckerberg stated (on Facebook, of course, then on Twitter):

 

The internet is the most powerful tool we have for creating a more open and connected world. We can’t let poorly thought out laws get in the way of the internet’s development. Facebook opposes SOPA and PIPA, and we will continue to oppose any laws that will hurt the internet.  -Mark Zuckerberg

I’ve posted screenshots from some of the influential maker sites (and one non-maker site) that went black today to my Makers Going Pro Flickr stream. There are many, many more. Millions of tweets were sent to lawmakers. Taking a stand like this isn’t easy, nor without cost, so I applaud the companies who stood up, helped educate us, and helped change the course of a political game that was destined to hurt small and medium businesses.

Finally, if you want to know more, visit the Electronic Frontier Foundation for the blacklist details and what you can do to stop this bill. Let’s keep innovation and the internet safe from pirates, but not with bills that hurt the law-abiding maker and small business owner.

Keep fighting everyone!