SHOTLIST 1. Screen shot of English-language Wikipedia website starting 24-hour blackout STORYLINE Wikipedia's English-language site shut down at midnight Eastern Standard Time (0500 GMT) on Wednesday to protest anti-piracy legislation under consideration in US Congress. The organisation said it would stay down for 24 hours. Instead of encyclopedia articles, visitors to the site saw a stark black-and-white page with the message: "Imagine a world without free knowledge." It carried a link to information about the two congressional bills and details about how to reach lawmakers. The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) are designed to crack down on sales of pirated US products overseas. Supporters, including the film and music industry, say the legislation is needed to protect Intellectual property and jobs. Critics say it could hurt the technology industry and infringe on free-speech rights. Social news website Reddit.com is shutting down for 12 hours on Wednesday, but most companies are staying up. Google Inc. said it will display its opposition to the bill on its home page in some fashion. It is the first time the English Wikipedia site has been blacked out. Wikipedia's Italian site came down once briefly in protest to an Internet censorship bill put forward by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government. The bill did not advance. You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/4e14bd6d3ab9f4c65b9228e992dd6e42 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork

• published: 30 Jul 2015
• views: 13