Well, it’s January 22 and, for the moment, SOPA has been shelved. The bill’s primary sponsor, Republican Congressman Lamar Smith, noted that he was placing the legislation on indefinite hold thanks to concerns raised by the tech community. Or, more specifically, thanks to the million or so phone calls and emails directed at Congress as a result of the massive web blackout protests that occurred on January 18. There is talk he’s attempting to push parts of the bill forward, but that’s another discussion.
PIPA, essentially the Senate’s version of SOPA, has also been delayed, with Senate Majority Leader Harry Red claiming that he’d like to “resolve” the public’s issues with the bill before proceeding. So, for the time being, it appears that the most direct threats to a free web are off the table. However, seeing these bills knocked back into committee brings little comfort to those who follow politics and tech and even less to those who work in either.
