Opponents of the very controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) have won a small victory of sorts today. The bills sponsor Representative Lamar Smith (R-Texas) has agreed to drop the controversial DNS blocking provision (at least temporarily) to allow time to study its potential impacts. The provision could potentially have a wide range of implications on everything ranging from forums, game chat Facebook, Twitter, blogs and more. But as Techdirt notes, the spirit of that DNS piece is still alive and well.
The move comes following a number of developers and communities speaking out against the bill such as Epic Games, Riot Games, Red 5 Studios, Mojang, Trion Worlds, 38 Studios and others. Certain developers such as Firefall developer Red 5 and Minecraft developer Mojang even joined another group of Internet sites like Reddit, Wikipedia, Major League Gaming and lots of others for a planned service blackout on January 18th in opposition of the bill. In place of the usual website, visitors will be greeted with a message explaining the implications of the SOPA and the Protect IP Act, which Senator Harrry Reid (D-Nevada) is trying to push through.
As some added good news for opponents of SOPA, Techdirt also reported that House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) has also stated that he will not allow the bill to come to the floor for a vote unless there is some real consensus. For now, it doesn't look like the bill may not be getting fast-tracked certain industries and politicians had hoped. This saga is far from over, so stay tuned and we'll update you when we have more.
Wednesday will be a quiet day on the Internet but it will still speak loudly in protest. The number of websites going dark to oppose SOPA and Protect IP is continuing to grow. For those interested in finding out who will be taking part in Wednesday's blackout protest, check out the list NLB Creations has put together.
Sources:
via GamePolitics
Techdirt
Gamasutra
The Hill
Update: SOPA/PIPA Loses Three Co-Sponsors Amidst Blackout Protest
