SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (protect Intellectual Property Act) are both proposed legislation in the USA, to stop illegal use and distribution of copyrighted material. SOPA is going through the House of Representatives and PIPA through the Senate. The main concerns are piracy, infringement of copyright and and selling of counterfeited material.

The bills are mainly supported by the music, film and other entertainment industries. The issue of illegally using material without paying for it, or selling material that you have no right to sell, has been argued over ever since the internet became a big part of our lives.

It is true that piracy costs the entertainment business millions every year. However, the bills are opposed by networks and big sites such as Wikipedia (which is actually having a blackout today - 18th January 2012 in protest.) Opponents argue that the legislation won't stop illegal distribution but will have an impact on the freedom of users to exchange information and ideas.

If you click here you will find a balanced 'for and against' discussion of the problem, as well as links to lists of the main supporters and opponents of the bills.