Wikipedia Threatens Blackout to Protest Anti-Piracy Legislation Pending in Congress on Wednesday

Submitted by Jordan A. Arnot on January 16, 2012 - 19:00

Wikipedia Founder Jimmy Wales has announced that the company is considering a number of means to protest anti-piracy legislation pending in Congress – one of which is a 24-hour blackout of its website on Wednesday.

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property (PROTECT Intellectual Property Act) have been proposed as a means to attack sales of pirated U.S. products overseas; however, critics fear this legislation would not only hurt the technology industry but infringe on free-speech rights.

If the site is shut down, the big question is where will the members of Congress conduct their research on whether to support the legislation?