US postpones anti-piracy SOPA/PIPA laws after web protests

AMERICAN lawmakers have indefinitely postponed anti-piracy legislation that has pitted Hollywood against Silicon Valley.

The news came two days after major internet companies staged an online protest by blacking out parts of prominent websites.

Harry Reid, the Democratic leader of the US Senate, yesterday postponed a showdown vote in his chamber on the Protect Intellectual Property Act, or Pipa for short, that had been scheduled for Tuesday.

Lamar Smith, the Republican chairman of the House of Representatives judiciary committee, followed suit, delaying action on a similar law, the Stop Online Piracy Act, or Sopa, until there was wider agreement on the legislation. “It is clear that we need to revisit the approach on how best to address the problem of foreign thieves that steal and sell American inventions and products,” he said.

The bills are aimed at curbing access to overseas websites that traffic in pirated content and counterfeit products, such as movies and music.

On Wednesday, protests blocked out Wikipedia and other popular sites for 24 hours.