Wikipedia Protests SOPA, Goes Dark Wednesday
By Jim Melwert
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - One of the internet's biggest websites is announcing it will go dark on Wednesday in protest of legislation targeting online piracy.
The founder of Wikipedia says starting at Midnight tonight, users of Wikipedia's English language site will see only a message protesting legislation aimed at cracking down on online piracy: The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act.
Wikipedia is the largest site so far to announce a protest, and regular users like Brian say it will be a minor inconvenience but without other major sites like Google or Facebook taking part, he doesn't see it having much of an effect.
"If all three of them did it for a day that would be a bigger statement, but given that it's just Wikipedia, I don't see the benefit of doing it," he said. "I do use Wikipedia almost daily, I feel like there are so many alternate sources that you could use, I don't see it making that much of a statement."
Another user thinks the free online encyclopedia's decision could make enough noise.
"Yeah, it does make a point, because I personally do rely a lot on Wikipedia, so it will be a great inconvenience," the man said.
Hollywood producers and the recording industry support the legislation. However, some major internet companies oppose it, saying the bills would be nearly impossible to implement and would infringe on free speech.
Google and Facebook, so far, are not planning a protest, the folks who run Twitter call the protest "foolish."
