PIPA, SOPA Sponsors Put Bills on Ice

While they're not dead yet, it's looking like it will nearly impossible for either bill to pass in their current form.

Hey, Internet, ya done good! The sponsors of both the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act have all but given up on the pieces of legislation, as both bills have been shelved indefinitely. Rep. Lamar Smith, the Republican congressman from Texas who sponsored SOPA, said this morning that he's "heard from the critics and I take seriously their concerns regarding proposed legislation to address the problem of online piracy." Smith said he intends to continue working with both the entertainment industry and Internet stakeholders (which is, well, all of us) to find a way to stop online piracy. Sen. Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada who sponsored PIPA, similarly held up his bill this morning, saying he was putting off a debate on the bill scheduled for next Tuesday. This doesn't mean the bill – or the movement to reform the U.S.' copyright laws – are dead, but given how quickly Republican legislators have pulled their support for the bill (thanks in no small part to the blackout on Wednesday), chances of either bill passing are slim to nil. To celebrate, here is some ILLEGALLY POSTED, COPYRIGHTED MUSIC for all of us to enjoy!