When you rile up techies, the entire Internet falls on your head.
That's what Washington politicians and Hollywood lobbyists learned the hard way when they tried to fast-track a pair of anti-piracy bills known as SOPA and PIPA. The legislation quietly passed through layers of Congressional approval, enjoying rare bipartisan support and extensive corporate backing. (Time Warner, CNNMoney's parent company, supported the bills.)
Then Silicon Valley caught on to their imminent passage -- and went into full panic mode. Wikipedia and Reddit turned their sites black. Google slapped a protest message on Google.com. And more than 115,000 sites launched "SOPA Strike" actions.
Stung by the backlash, Congress dropped the suddenly radioactive bills. They're now "postponed indefinitely" and are expected to stay in deep freeze. -- Stacy Cowley
