A Senate vote on the Protect IP Act (PIPA) scheduled for next Tuesday has been postponed.
Nevada Senator and Senate majority leader Harry Reid confirmed on Twitter that his decision had been taken following the overwhelmingly negative public response to the proposed legislation.
Websites including Wikipedia participated in a day-long blackout on Wednesday, and yesterday 18 Senators - seven of whom were originally co-sponsors of the bill - announced their opposition to it.
Yet Reid remains adamant that the legislation is required and believes a consensus can be reached on its contents. "There's no reason that legitimate issues raised about Protect IP can't be resolved," he said in a subsequent tweet. "Counterfeiting and piracy cost thousands of jobs yearly.
"Americans rightfully expect to be fairly compensated for their work. I'm optimistic that we can reach compromise on Protect IP in [the] coming weeks."
Source: Twitter