PIPA Vote: Sen. Harry Reid Postpones Vote, Seeking Compromise On Anti-Piracy Bil

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Friday morning that he would postpone a vote Tuesday on the Protect I.P. Act (PIPA).

"In light of recent events, I have decided to postpone Tuesday’s vote on the PROTECT I.P. Act," he said in a statement. "There is no reason that the legitimate issues raised by many about this bill cannot be resolved. Counterfeiting and piracy cost the American economy billions of dollars and thousands of jobs each year, with the movie industry alone supporting over 2.2 million jobs. We must take action to stop these illegal practices. We live in a country where people rightfully expect to be fairly compensated for a day’s work, whether that person is a miner in the high desert of Nevada, an independent band in New York City, or a union worker on the back lots of a California movie studio."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) urged Reid to shelve the bill Thursday. The bill lost several prominent supporters, including many original co-sponsors, on Wednesday.

PIPA, and its House counterpart, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), sparked thousands of websites to go dark earlier this week in protest.

The author of SOPA, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) quickly followed Reid's lead by issuing a statement saying he would reconsider his legislation, and not seek a vote on a copyright bill "until there is wider agreement on a solution."

Protect IP and its House companion, SOPA, would grant the government and corporations broad powers to shut down Web sites they believe are engaged in copyright infringement -- without a trial or a traditional court hearing.

 

Yes

 

If she weren't a spammer, I would fetch her a beer at $5 for the first minute