Websites 'go dark' in protest of the SOPA and PIPA acts

PROTECT IP / SOPA Breaks The Internet from Fight for the Future on Vimeo.

Today a number of websites both big and small have decided to protest against the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA) in the US.

The most popular sites that have gone dark today include Wikipedia, Boing Boing, WordPress and Reddit (which will go down in 2 hours). And, a number of other sites are still active but feature links to more information about the acts, most notably everyone’s favourite search engine Google.

So many individuals and online businesses all over the world have been up in arms about SOPA because if it’s enacted any copyright holder could legally have websites shut down by accusing them of violating their copyright. This means even a huge website could completely disappear if just one page is accused of copyright infringement. Scary stuff. There are also other implications if the acts are passed, for instance, ISPs would have the power to monitor traffic and block websites that are even suspected of any kind of copyright infringement.

There’s no denying that there are many issues regarding copyright laws online, but passing such an extreme law in the states that could so greatly affect our online freedom and the way we use the internet all over the globe is a very scary prospect.

Check out the SOPA Strike website for more information and details about how you can shut your site for the day and watch the video above for a more detailed explanation about SOPA and PIPA.