The January 18 Wikipedia Blackout was a minor inconvenience, although one with a lofty goal and an important message. Wikipedia went offline for 24 hours to protest the House bill SOPA (Stop Online Pirating Act) and the Senate bill PIPA (Protect IP Act), trying to simulate the dangerous effects of the legislation.

Quite simply, SOPA and PIPA threaten the easy access of information on the internet. The bills propose the blocking off of any websites which infringe on copyright or link to offending sites. With the open nature of wikis and comment systems present in most blogs and news sites, this means that almost all sites are in danger of being blocked and the information they hold lost to the public.

That is why Wikipedia and many other sites are against them. That is why I am against them. But, most importantly, that is why you should be against them, whether in spirit or through action.

SOPA and PIPA are dangerous, in the short term and in the long term. If they are passed, we could lose access to not only Wikipedia, but also YouTube or Google – any site that threatens the businesses owned by the lobbyists who are pushing the bill. And without these major sources, information on the internet would be highly limited, owned by those who either work for or pander to these lobbyists who insist on controlling our access to information. The internet is built by everyone for everyone; therefore it must be open to everyone.

These legislation are bad news, there is no doubt about it. But that is only because it seeks to empower the rich and greedy, not to protect intellectual property. Pirating is a huge problem, one that needs to be addressed, but not like this. The internet should be policed and property must be protected, but not at the risk of the basic human right of information.

SOPA and PIPA are losing support. But they are still out there – “waiting in the shadows,” warns Wikipedia. We must stand up against them and protect our rights.