After what was once a minor bill that many did not even notice was made into a big deal by popular websites, the Internet users of America were able to kill the bill that would have changed the way the World Wide Web is run.
With protests all over the Internet, including petitions and blackouts on major websites like Wikipedia, the supporters of the SOPA and PIPA bills backed off. Millions of people ended up signing petitions and making their voices heard very loudly.
The Stop Online Piracy Act was completely called off by Lamar Smith, a Republican member of the House of Representatives from Texas. Craig Newmark, the owner of Craigslist, called the victory huge and said it meant a great deal to the success of democracy.
Many of the politicians who supported the bill said that its purpose would be to stop foreign websites from illegally pirating copyrighted films and music. However, the countless emails that those politicians got from angry Americans were too much. The bill seemed to be dropped very fast after the protesting began.
It is possible that with this being a major election year, many politicians were worried about angering the public.
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