Ray Newman

DULUTH — If you attempted to look up information on Google, find help with your homework on Wikipedia, or get an idea for dinner on Pinterest Jan. 18 you saw part of what was probably the most effective online-specific protest in the relatively young history of the Internet.

Sites such as Twitter and Facebook became virtual megaphones for those opposing the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), sponsored in the House of Representatives by a bipartisan group. The bill drew the ire of search engines and social media hubs despite its overall stated goal to curb the stealing of American online intellectual content by foreign websites. Groups supporting the bill included those in the movie, book publishing, and recording industries.

More ...