Changes

Despite the participation of major American websites, such as Google, Wikipedia, and Cragislist, The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), a major supporter of SOPA, claimed that the January 18th anti-SOPA blackout failed to gain any significant traction.<ref>[http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120118/11484617455/denial-mpaa-pretends-that-no-big-sites-have-joined-sopapipa-protests.shtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Denial MPAA Pretends That No Big Sites Have Joined SOPA PIPA Protests, TechDirt.com]</ref> However, with over 115,000 sites participating, the strike garnered 10 million signatures to various petitions and more than 3 million emails sent to members of Congress.<ref>[http://www.sopastrike.com/numbers SOPA Strike Numbers]</ref>

Despite the participation of major American websites, such as Google, Wikipedia, and Cragislist, The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), a major supporter of SOPA, claimed that the January 18th anti-SOPA blackout failed to gain any significant traction.<ref>[http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120118/11484617455/denial-mpaa-pretends-that-no-big-sites-have-joined-sopapipa-protests.shtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Denial MPAA Pretends That No Big Sites Have Joined SOPA PIPA Protests, TechDirt.com]</ref> However, with over 115,000 sites participating, the strike garnered 10 million signatures to various petitions and more than 3 million emails sent to members of Congress.<ref>[http://www.sopastrike.com/numbers SOPA Strike Numbers]</ref>

Following the SOPA blackout, many senators and congressmen withdrew their support of the bill. Marco Rubio and Tim Holden notably withdrew their support of PIPA and SOPA respectively, they were both co-sponsors of those respective bills.<ref>[http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120118/11581717456/more-senators-dropping-off-as-co-sponsors-pipa.shtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter More Senators Dropping Off as Co-Sponsors PIPA, TechDirt.com]</ref>

Following the SOPA blackout, many senators and congressmen withdrew their support of the bill. Marco Rubio and Tim Holden notably withdrew their support of PIPA and SOPA respectively, they were both co-sponsors of those respective bills.<ref>[http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20120118/11581717456/more-senators-dropping-off-as-co-sponsors-pipa.shtml?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter More Senators Dropping Off as Co-Sponsors PIPA, TechDirt.com]</ref> The Blackout  and online action by end-users were seen as being major reasons for Congressman Lamar Smith's decision to suspend the bill on January 20, 2012.<ref>[http://venturebeat.com/2012/01/20/lamar-smith-sopa-dead/ Lamar Smith SOPA Dead, VentureBeat.com]</ref>

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